Charmed: Redux
by JulesSC
Summary: 6 months ago, Penny Halliwell died, leaving behind four granddaughters by the name of Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Bella. Now, with Phoebe back in San Francisco, the sisters discover that they have a destiny far greater than they would've ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**Charmed: Redux**

**Summary:** 6 months ago, Penny Halliwell died, leaving behind four granddaughters by the name of Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Bella. Now, with Phoebe back in San Francisco, the sisters discover that they have a destiny far greater than they would've ever imagined: a Charmed destiny.

**A/N:** I've been intrigued with Twilight crossovers for a while now and Twilight/Charmed crossovers seemed pretty interesting to me. I read a couple on here and some were pretty good. I decided to write my own to see if I could put my own spin on things. I spent quite some time plotting everything and now I've got things figured out until mid-season 3, just before Piper and Leo marry.

I wanted to know if I'd be wasting my time writing and posting this, however, so I've decided to post the first chapter/episode on here first and see how the reaction to 'Charmed: Redux' would be before I continue on with this project.

So, please, do me a favor and read this if you're interested then kindly leave a line or two to tell me what you think of this. Thank you very much.

**A few things to note:**

At the beginning of the story, Prue's 25, Piper's 23, Phoebe's 21 and Bella's 15.

Edward and the rest of the Cullens are not going to be a part of the story for a while. I'll be rewriting most of the episodes of the series (I'm still not so sure about season 8 considering I'm not too fond of the whole Billie/Christie storyline, not to mention the disaster they made of Darryl's character in season 7, but I did like how they wrapped everything up for the Charmed sisters, even if that's not how their lives are going to end up in 'Charmed: Redux'). My point is, Edward won't come in until season 5 and there's a reason for that - but it won't be revealed until then. There are going to be some other Twilight characters that make appearances and even make the recurring guest stars cut, so I hope that'll make up for it somewhat.

Patty died when Prue was 11, Piper was 9, Phoebe was 7 and Bella was six months old.

Patty and Sam, her Whitelighter, broke up soon after they gave Paige up. A few years later, Patty entered a brief relationship with a minor god who was a son of Aphrodite and Ares. The end result was Bella. Bella's father was absent throughout Bella's life and is rarely mentioned.

Because of Bella's paternal genes, which include not only DNA from an immortal being thus giving her the gift of immortality once she receives her powers, but also the power to lure others to her (she has Aphrodite's genes in her).

It is not uncommon to have multiple powers in the Charmed universe. In fact, most powerful witches (like the Charmed Ones and their offspring) have multiple powers each. This is the same for Bella, who is a Charmed One and a half-God.

Bella's powers: first manifested in the first episode of season 1 as **Agility** (the ability that provides the possessor with inhuman agility, reflexes and speed - which, as a sub-power, is called **Hyper Speed**, the ability to travel at the speed of light/exceeding the speed of light. Agility enabled Bella to jump great heights/climb walls/possess great fighting skills).

Some of her other powers, besides the basic witch abilities, was **Enchanting** (the ability to bend someone to one's will by manipulating their sex drive and/or radiating false feelings of love, friendship, happiness and other positive emotions), and **Luring** (which is basically a form of seduction, luring all men to her by walking into the room) - all gifts from Aphrodite, who was her paternal grandmother.

These two powers won't be really noticed or utilized much for now, and Bella won't know how to control them to her advantage until another season. For season 1, we just get mentions of Bella attracting others to her, be it in a sexual manner or otherwise, because let's face it. Any descendant of Aphrodite's gonna be able to do that, right?

The rest of her powers, just like her sisters' powers, will come to her/them as the series progresses and will be explained when it happens.

Prue, Piper, Phoebe and later on Paige will have the same powers they have on the show.

Timeline:

1973 - Prue is born

1975 - Piper is born

1977 - Phoebe is born

1979 - Paige is born

1983 - Bella is born

1984 - February; Patty died.

Disclaimer: Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me, but to their respective creators, SM and Constance M. Burge.

* * *

><p><strong>Something Wicca This Way Comes<strong>

_I'm late_, Piper thought, on the verge of panicking. Arms loaded with groceries, she did her best to balance an umbrella in her hand to shield her against the pounding rain. _I'm late. I can't believe I'm so late. Oh, I just know Prue's going to be mad_…

She rushed as fast as she could through the rain, not wanting to slip on the slick ground below her, and hurried through the front door to the manor. She closed the door behind her, hung up her umbrella and walked past the foyer. "Prue?" she called out, almost timidly, placing her bags on the hallway table.

"In here," Prue's unmistakable voice called out from the living room. "Working on the chandelier."

Piper grimaced at the annoyance she could hear in Prue's voice. She shrugged off her wet coat and hung it up next to the umbrella. Picking up her grocery bag, she made her way towards the living room, hoping to pacify her older sister if she showed she was merely too preoccupied about work.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized. The best way to handle this was to apologize first, she firmly believed that.

"What else is new?" Prue's voice was still tinged with irritation.

Piper walked into the living room to find her sister perched on a ladder under the chandelier. She still had on her work clothes. "You know, Piper," Prue turned around at the sound of Piper's footsteps drawing closer. Piper fought not to flinch at the annoyed expression she wore. "I would've been here to meet the electrician myself but you know I can't leave the museum until six. I haven't even had time to change."

Piper tilted her head to the side in acknowledgement of Prue's words and pulled her face into the most sincere apologetic look she could muster. "I just - I didn't realize how long I was in Chinatown," she explained herself. "Bella couldn't have…?"

"No," Prue still looked angered. "You know she has that project due Monday. She's not even home yet."

Not wanting to continue being lectured, Piper quickly changed the subject, "Did Jeremy call?"

Prue sighed a little before pointing towards the dining table. "No, but he had some roses and a package delivered," she informed her sister.

Piper's eyes sparkled as she headed towards the dining room. Prue hid a smile. As annoyed as she was at Piper, she was glad that Piper was happy with her boyfriend. Especially considering it had only been months since they'd lost their grandmother. It was good that her gentle hearted sister was living her life, moving on from the grief.

"What were you doing in Chinatown?" Prue asked, catching on to Piper's earlier words. "I thought that you had an interview in North Beach?"

"I did," Piper replied as they walked into the dining room. She smiled slightly at the sight of the red roses. Her eyes were quickly drawn, however, to the wooden box next to it. Putting her grocery bag down once more, Piper reached for the box. "But I went to Young Lee Market after my interview to get ingredients for my audition recipe tomorrow."

"So that Wolfgang Puck knock-off didn't hire you today?" Prue asked, watching as Piper slid the box's wooden lid off.

"No," Piper sighed, taking out the bottle inside the box and holding it up so Prue could see it. "But this just may get me the job."

Prue grabbed the bottle from Piper so she could read the label better. "Jeremy sent you port?" she asked, not understanding why Piper seemed so happy about that.

Piper nodded. "It's the ultimate ingredient for my recipe," she revealed.

Prue smiled. "Nice boyfriend," she said approvingly.

Piper smiled shyly and looked away so she wouldn't start blushing. Something at the edge of the table caught her eye. She gasped as she recognized the familiar object. "Oh, my God!" she gushed, walking over and picking it up, her eyes lit brilliantly. "I don't believe it. Tell me that's not our old spirit board."

Prue placed the port down on the table, watching as Piper inspected the board. Piper eyed the antique game, her gaze falling on the symbol in the center of the board. It was a circle with three interlocking arcs in the middle. She had never known what that symbol meant, if it meant anything at all, but she'd always secretly liked it.

She flipped it over, remembering that there used to be something written on the back of the board.

"Yeah," Prue replied. "I found it in the basement when I was looking for the circuit tester."

She moved to stand behind Piper, looking over her shoulder as Piper read the inscription out loud. "To my four beautiful girls. May this give you the light to find the Shadows. The Power of Four will set you free. Love, Mom…" Piper looked up and shot Prue a look. "We never did figure out what this inscription meant."

She smiled a little as she fondly remembered Phoebe and Bella as kids, running around convinced that it was some sort of secret, hidden message their mother had left for them.

Prue turned away from Piper and the spirit board, not as comfortable looking back at past memories as her sister was. "We should send it to Phoebe," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked back out into the hall. "That girl is so in the dark maybe a little bit of light would help."

_Ooh, there's my chance_, Piper thought, both thankful for it and dreading the upcoming conversation. Lord knows she'd put it off for long enough. Besides, she had to tell Prue tonight. It was her last chance.

Scurrying after her older sister, Piper chided gently, "You're always so hard on her."

And that was enough to rile Prue up. She turned around, giving Piper an incredulous look. "Piper, the girl has no vision, no sense of the future," she lectured.

Piper bit her bottom lip nervously. "I really think Phoebe's coming around," her words full of innuendo that Prue didn't catch on to.

Prue scoffed at Piper's words. "Well, as long as she doesn't come around here, I guess it's good news," she quipped, turning back around and storming back towards the living room to continue working on the chandelier.

Piper watched her leave, feeling incredibly awkward. She felt guilty for not telling Prue sooner but she had just been too intimidated. After all, Phoebe had left San Francisco six months ago not without animosity between her and Prue.

_Maybe I'll wait until Bella comes home_, Piper thought. _Maybe she could help me break the news_. Sighing to herself, Piper picked up her bag of groceries and headed over to the kitchen to put it away. _I think I'll make some chamomile_, she groaned internally.

An hour later and Bella still wasn't home. Piper was getting nervous. Phoebe's flight had already landed, she knew that, and she was worried that Phoebe would arrive before their youngest sister. If that were to happen, then she would have to confront Prue on her own and Piper wasn't sure she was up for that at all.

She stood at the living room window, peering out into the darkness outside looking for signs of Bella or Phoebe. When she saw the now familiar sight of the red Chevy Camaro that belonged to Bella's older boyfriend, Carter Sampson, Piper breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she muttered, throwing a discreet look over her shoulder to see if Prue had caught that.

Bella took longer than five minutes to get out of the stationary vehicle. Piper huffed, placing one hand on her hip as she watched the car. She was growing more and more impatient and was just about to just grab her umbrella and march over to the car, dragging her sister out, when the passenger side door opened.

Piper watched as Bella climbed out, her library bag slung over one shoulder and a stack of books cradled in her arm. She was bent over, half her body stuck inside the car as she said goodbye to her boyfriend.

Piper let the curtain fall back into place as Bella slammed the car door close and started walking briskly up to the front porch, her hair and clothes getting soaked as she made it to the front door. Piper swung the door open just as Bella reached it.

"Thank God you're home," Piper breathed, wrapping her hand around Bella's free wrist and yanking her through the threshold.

Bella gave Piper a strange look. "What? Did I forget to do something?" she asked, frowning as she tried to think back to anything she might've forgotten. Remembering Prue's comment about the electrician in the morning, she said, "I thought that I told Prue I had to work late on my project?"

Piper shook her head, closing the door and linking her hands through Bella's arm. "Shh," she cautioned, throwing another look in Prue's direction. They were relatively safe from hearing range, so far away in the foyer. "Listen, I need to tell you something but you have to be really quiet, okay? Prue doesn't know yet and I need your help to tell her."

Now Bella looked positively glowing. There was nothing she loved more than a good mystery or some sort of secret that she could be included in on. "Okay," she whispered back, agreeing quickly to Piper's terms. Shrugging off her wet coat and placing it together with her soaked bag and books on the floor, she raised an eyebrow at her older sister. "What's the secret?"

Piper cupped a hand over Bella's ear, leaning in to whisper the words.

"Phoebe's coming home?" Bella yelped, a little too loudly for Piper's taste. She shushed her sister again, throwing another paranoid look in Prue's direction. She relaxed minimally when it seemed as though Prue hadn't heard her at all. "Sorry," Bella lowered her voice to a whisper once more. "Look, Piper, don't get me wrong - I'm so glad Phoebes is coming back, but you're on your own telling Prue."

Piper threw her an aggravated look. "What! Oh, come on, you have to help me…" she pleaded.

Bella shrugged. "Sorry, but I'm trying to get in her good graces so she'll let me go to Carter's apartment on Saturday," she said, perking up at the mention of her boyfriend. Carter Sampson was seven years her senior, a fledgling reporter working for the San Francisco Chronicle. She had met Carter when she had gone with Piper to visit Jeremy at his workplace a few weeks back.

Piper rolled her eyes. She wasn't as stern as Prue was - she firmly believed that no one could be as stern as Prue was - but it didn't mean that she approved of the relationship. After all, Bella was three years below the legal age and there was just so much age difference. Even so, she knew that Bella, as a rebellious teenaged girl, would only fight to see Carter the more Prue and herself told her not to.

"First of all - there's no chance that'll be happening at all," Piper told her without apology. She knew Bella had started being sexually active a few months ago, with a senior football quarterback she'd dated back then. Prue might not know but Piper did and she wasn't going to fall for Bella's 'we're only going to watch movies' excuse. _Thank God Prue isn't at all gullible_, Piper grumbled to herself.

Bella made a face at Piper but stayed silent as Piper continued, "And second, it won't be that bad. We just need some time to convince her that Phoebe's matured and isn't as…Out of control as before and you know, she'll understand."

Even Piper didn't believe her own words.

Bella snorted in response to Piper's words. She knew Piper was trying to convince herself instead of Bella. "She'll _understand_?" she mocked lightly. "Which Prue are you talking about?" Hearing something rumbling, she reached out and pulled back the curtain covering the window next to them. "And your time's run out, by the way."

"What!" Piper looked absolutely horrified as she rushed to peer out the window as well. She cursed a little under her breath as she saw the cab out front. Turning away from the window, she quickly walked over to Prue, irritatingly aware of Bella following behind her, chuckling amusedly.

They walked into the kitchen and walked out the back door, where they found Prue fiddling with the circuit breakers at the utility box. Sensing Piper next to her, Prue muttered, "I don't get it. I have checked everything. There's no reason why the chandelier should not be working."

She closed the utility box and turned, her eyes widening slightly in surprise when she saw Bella there. "Bella, when did you get home?" she asked.

Bella shrugged. "Just now," she replied casually. "The electrician couldn't find anything wrong?"

Prue scowled slightly at the reminder. Piper hurried to change the subject. "You know how we've been talking about what to do with that spare room?" she raised her voice slightly to get Prue's attention. "I think you're right. We do need a roommate."

Prue pursed her lips, considering Piper's words. "Well, we could rent out the room at a reduced rate in exchange for help around the house," she suggested.

Bella, sensing that this was the opening Piper needed, hurried to ask Prue her own question first. "Well, that sounds just fantastic," she agreed cheerfully, causing Prue to look at her with barely concealed suspicion. Bella had been even more hesitant than Piper regarding getting a roommate. In fact, she'd been downright against it. She hated change and she hated strangers invading her privacy. Inviting someone they had never met before to be their roommate was both of those things combined and she had fought tooth and nail to prevent that from happening. "Speaking of fantastic ideas…See, I have this thing planned for Saturday…?"

Piper threw her a glare. "Bella, this really isn't the time," she muttered through clenched teeth.

Bella, unfazed, gave Piper an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? Once you tell Prue what you wanna tell Prue, she'll be in a bad mood for weeks," she scoffed. "This is the perfect time for me to ask my question first."

Prue, who was standing right there in the kitchen with the two of them, raised both her eyebrows. _I feel a headache coming on already_, Prue predicted wryly. "Okay, what are you two talking about?" she demanded.

Piper took a deep breath. "Phoebe's good with a wrench," she blurted out, panicking too much to care about finesse.

What little smile on Prue's face slipped off completely at that. "Phoebe lives in New York," she reminded Piper, a tiny sense of dread creeping into her subconscious.

Piper, grimacing, ploughed ahead, "Not anymore."

Prue froze for a moment before closing the kitchen drawer she'd just opened. "What?" she asked, the dread tripling in under a second.

"She left New York," Piper hastened to explain. "She's moving back in with us."

Prue sighed, glaring at Piper as she moved past her sisters and headed out of the kitchen. "You've got to be kidding," she muttered angrily.

"Just for the record," Bella piped up as she and Piper followed after Prue. "I had nothing to do with it."

"Bella!" Piper protested.

Bella ignored her, "In fact, I didn't even know until a few minutes ago. It was all Piper's doing."

Instead of deny it, Piper went on the defensive. "Well, I could hardly say no. It's her house, too. It was willed to all of us," she reminded Prue as they reentered the main hall.

"Yeah, _months_ ago," Prue argued. "And we haven't seen or spoken to her since."

Piper and Bella exchanged a look. While Bella hadn't had a clue that Phoebe was moving back to San Francisco, she had been speaking regularly to her on the phone and e-mailing her constantly. The move was only kept secret because it was so last minute. Piper had volunteered to tell both Bella and Prue and had put it off to the very last second.

"Well, _you_ haven't spoken to her," Piper corrected delicately.

"No, I haven't," Prue agreed angrily, swiveling around to face Piper. "Look, maybe you've forgotten why I'm so mad at her."

Piper shook her head. "No, of course not," she soothed. "But she had nowhere else to go. She lost her job, she's in debt…"

"And this is news!" Prue scoffed.

Bella, on the other hand, was more than a little stunned. "Wow, really," she said worriedly. "I had no idea…She never told me any of this."

Piper shrugged, shooting her a half smile. "You're only fifteen," she murmured. "She didn't want to worry you."

Prue rolled her eyes. It was just like Piper to try and paint the black sheep of the family in a positive light. She tried her best to ignore the fact that Bella had practically confessed to having spoken to Phoebe, as well, despite being kept in the dark about Phoebe's messes. Bella's closeness with Phoebe had always been a sore subject for Prue, especially since she didn't want her youngest sister to follow in the footsteps of the sister she was so close to. Jealousy had nothing to do with it. At all.

"How long have you known about this anyway?" she demanded.

"A couple of days," Piper hurriedly said. Her conscience kicked in a second later and she winced as she corrected herself, "Maybe a week…Or two."

Prue glared at her. "Thanks for sharing," she said sarcastically. "When does she arrive?" she asked after a moment's pause. If Phoebe was returning, and it looked like there was nothing Prue could do to stop that, then she was going to have to be prepared for it.

Just at that moment, the front door burst open. "Surprise!" Phoebe called out, grinning at her three sisters. Her short, curly dark hair and her coat were both slightly wet from the rain. She stepped into the house, oblivious to Prue's annoyed expression if only for a moment, and closed the door behind her. She placed her umbrella down on the hallway floor, holding up the spare key as she made her way towards her sisters.

"I found the hide-a-key," she explained.

Bella's face lit up at the sight of the sister she hadn't seen in half a year. "Phoebe!" she cried happily, rushing forward.

Piper followed after her, smiling as she hugged Phoebe. "Phoebe, welcome home," she greeted her with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm.

"Hello, Piper," Phoebe smiled back at her, before chuckling as she was hug attacked by Bella. "Hey, Bells," she hugged her younger sister back tightly.

Bella didn't let go of Phoebe for a long time, only fuelling Prue's irritation. "It's so good to see you!" Bella exclaimed when they finally let each other go.

Piper nodded, "Yes, it is…" She turned towards her oldest sister and prompted, "Isn't it, Prue?"

"I'm speechless," Prue deadpanned.

An awkward silence descended on the four of them, broken only by a car horn from outside. "Oops," Phoebe said. "I forgot about the cab."

Piper, eager to do something to diffuse the moment, assured Phoebe quickly, "I'll get it."

Prue furrowed her eyebrows as she watched Piper lifting a black purse from the side table. "Piper, that's my purse!" she called out but Piper didn't seem to hear her, already reaching the front door. Piper merely waved her hand without turning around, slipping out the front door.

"Thanks," Phoebe said to Prue. "I'll pay you back."

_Yeah, I won't hold my breath_, Prue thought sarcastically. She looked down at the backpack at Phoebe's feet. "Is that all that you brought?" she asked, slight hope returning that Phoebe might not stay for long.

That hope was squashed when Phoebe replied, "That's all that I own. That and a bike."

Another awkward silence fell amongst them.

Bella, being the courageous one, turned to Phoebe with a huge smile. "Does that mean you're staying here for good?" she asked hopefully.

Phoebe laughed a little. "Well, you know, not forever like 'the next sixty years' forever," she answered. "But for now…Yeah. I think so."

Bella grinned happily. "Cool," she said, giving Phoebe another quick hug.

Prue rolled her eyes again. "Yeah - cool," she mocked.

Phoebe and Bella pulled apart, both looking over at an irate Prue. "Look, I know that you don't want me here-"

Prue interrupted Phoebe, taking a step forward. "We're not selling Grams' house," she informed Phoebe sternly.

Bella groaned at how the conversation had shifted from 'awkward' to 'potentially dangerous'.

Phoebe looked appalled at Prue's statement. "Is that why you think I came back?" she demanded furiously, trying to hide the hurt she felt at Prue's unspoken accusation.

Prue didn't answer, opting instead to say, "Look, the only reason Piper and I gave up our apartment and moved back here is because this house has been in our family for generations."

Phoebe glared at her. "No history lesson needed," she snapped. "I grew up here, too. So can we talk about what's really bothering you?"

"No," Prue replied coolly. "I'm still furious with you."

"So you'd rather have a tense reunion filled with boring chit-chat and unimportant small talk?"

Prue shrugged. "No, but otherwise we won't have anything to talk about," she quipped.

Bella, unused to being the mediator between the two considering that was usually Piper's job, said, "You know, why don't we just…"

Phoebe interrupted her, cutting to the chase, "I never touched Roger."

"Oh, hell," Bella cursed.

Prue glared at Phoebe. "Whoa," she said warningly.

"I know you think otherwise," Phoebe continued. "Because that's what that Armani-wearing, Chardonnay-slugging, trust-funder told you but-"

Bella breathed out in relief when they heard the front door slam close, Piper heading their way. "Hey!" Piper interrupted, still with a certain amount of forced cheeriness. "I have a great idea. Why don't I make a fabulous reunion dinner? Bella can bake her famous double chocolate brownies…?"

Bella nodded, eager to do anything she could to diffuse such a tense situation.

"I'm not hungry," Prue muttered, glaring at Phoebe before stalking past all three of them.

Phoebe, looking slightly disheartened at Prue's anger towards her even after all these months, picked up her backpack. "I ate on the bus," she told Piper, heading the other way towards the stairs.

Piper and Bella, the only two left, shared an uncomfortable look. "Okay," Piper called out belatedly. "We'll try the group hug later…"

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Bella - overly excited that Phoebe was back at home - had abandoned her homework and gone to hang out with Phoebe. She was lounging on Phoebe's bed, the TV there turned on to the news report because there was nothing else on that was remotely interesting.<p>

"I can understand not telling Prue," Bella was saying as Phoebe puttered around her room. "But me? That's just mean."

Phoebe laughed. "Well, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "But you're as good at keeping secrets as I am."

Bella pretended to be offended by that. "Hey! I am not that bad!" she laughed along with Phoebe.

"…I'm in an apartment building on the corner of 8th and Franklin, where a murder occurred earlier this evening," the reporter on TV was saying, drawing Bella's attention back to the screen. "The victim, believed to be a nurse at County General, was reportedly stabbed to death in her apartment. Police have yet to comment if the murder bears any resemblance to the two other ritual killings that recently occurred in the downtown area…"

Bella shuddered a little as the woman continued on. She had read about the past two murders, as well, and the media was speculating that it was the work of a serial killer, even if the police hadn't confirmed anything.

"San Francisco," she muttered. "Home of the psychos…" She turned her head to look at Phoebe, who was shrugging off her dampened jacket. "Don't you just miss it here?"

Phoebe merely laughed as she tossed the jacket on the bed and walked over to the mirror to check if her light make-up had been smudged by the rain.

A knock at the bedroom door startled the both of them. "It's me," Piper called out.

"Come on in," Phoebe invited, smiling when the door opened and she saw Piper carrying a tray of food. "God, I'm starving!" Phoebe crowed, climbing onto the bed next to Bella.

Piper smiled knowingly, "Figured."

The news reporter was still speaking, her words making Piper turn around to look at the screen. "Speculation and concern is running high in this upscale neighborhood," the reporter was saying.

Piper's eyes widened as she saw a very familiar face on screen. "Hey, that's my boyfriend, Jeremy," she said for Phoebe's benefit, pointing to the man interviewing someone in the background. "What happened?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Some woman got whacked," she replied as nonchalantly as possible. It was always horrible to hear news of someone innocent getting killed but she wasn't nearly as freaked by it as Bella usually was.

"'Whacked'?" Bella laughed, stealing some food off of the tray Piper had placed on the bed. "Phoebe, you've been in New York way too long."

Phoebe tilted her head, reaching out for some food as well as Piper perched on the edge of her bed. "Yeah, I should've stayed," she sounded a little somber as she remembered how everything had gone so downhill for her the past couple of weeks in the Big Apple.

Looking up from the snack food she was picking at with her fingers, Phoebe shot Piper a narrowed eyed look. "Why didn't you tell Prue I was coming back?"

Bella snorted in laughter. "And risk her changing the locks?" she quipped with a wry smile. "I don't think so."

Piper gave her an amused smile before turning to look at Phoebe, a steely glint in her eyes. Bella, sensing that the conversation was about to get heavier, reached for the remote next to her and turned the television off.

"Besides, you should've been the one to tell her, not me," Piper reprimanded Phoebe as gently as possible.

"Good point, Chicken Little," Phoebe teased. Her smile fell as she thought about her oldest sister and the less than warm reunion that had taken place half an hour ago. "It's just so hard for me to talk to her. She's always been more like a mother."

"That's not her fault," Piper was quick to come to Prue's defense. "She practically had to sacrifice…"

She trailed off when both Bella and Phoebe jumped in to finish her sentence for her. "…Her own childhood to help raise us," the two sisters chanted simultaneously, giggling.

Phoebe was still chuckling as she shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said dismissively.

Piper, although she couldn't contain her smile at the two of them, insisted, "Hey, we were lucky she was so responsible. We had it easy. All we had to do was be there."

Phoebe nodded. She couldn't dispute Piper's words but things had changed now. She wasn't a teenager anymore. She wasn't sure about Bella, who was only fifteen years old at this point, but things were different for herself, personally. "Yeah, well, I don't need a mom anymore, you know?" she argued softly. "I need a sister."

Piper gazed at Phoebe with a kind of deep empathy only she could pull off. She was worried about the two sisters getting along. Their relationship had deteriorated so much over the past couple of years. Piper didn't want them to be the kind of family who were separated and would only argue whenever they saw each other, but unfortunately that was how it looked like it would be.

She opened her mouth to say some comforting words to Phoebe but before she could, a knock at the door interrupted her. All three of them turned towards the direction of the door to see Prue standing at the entrance of Phoebe's room, carrying a thick blanket in her arms. "Hey," Prue greeted. Holding up the blanket, she said by way of explanation, "This was always the coldest room in the house."

Phoebe watched as Prue placed the blanket down on top of the dresser. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Prue nodded once, lingered awkwardly for a few seconds before turning around and walking away without a single word.

Phoebe sighed. _Guess we're going to stick to 'awkward and uncomfortable' for a little while longer_, she thought sarcastically.

* * *

><p>More to come soon!<p>

Please review and tell me what you think of my first crossover (that's been published, that is) so far.

Juliet.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Okay, so one or two of you have mentioned that Bella's name is a 'non-P' name which is tradition in Charmed. I suppose I wanted it to be put in somewhere in a later episode but since I'm only posting episode 1 so far, I guess I'll have to say it in an A/N:

When I wrote this fic, I already had a 'P' first name for Bella. But not only are a lot of 'P' names weird, hers would be Greek thanks to her heritage and even weirder sounding. I'd think, with Bella's attitude and sarcasm, this would be perfect opportunity for humor added in. The name thing won't be touched upon in the first episode, however, and will be mentioned later on in future episodes. Yes, you'll find out what it is then, as well.

Please enjoy the second part of the first episode and tell me what you think. Thank you.

Also, thank you _so much_ to all who reviewed last chapter. We reached 10 reviews for one chapter in barely ten hours…That's the fastest since Bella Hale, so I'm greatly appreciative.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

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><p>Unable to fall asleep, Piper, Phoebe and Bella had gone down to the conservatory when Piper had mentioned the Spirit Board and suggested they play with it for a little while like they had when they were kids.<p>

"I'm glad to hear you and Jeremy are still together," Phoebe told Piper as the three of them sat around the table, each of them with their fingers pressed to the solitary pointer. "Where did you meet him, anyway?"

"We met at the hospital cafeteria the day Grams was admitted," she informed Phoebe. Her sister had left San Francisco so quickly after Grams had passed that she hadn't had the chance to even meet Jeremy. "He was covering a story and I was bawling over a bagel so he handed me a napkin."

"How romantic," Phoebe laughed.

Piper shrugged, a shy smile on her lips. "As a matter of fact, it was," she corrected Phoebe. "The napkin had his phone number on it."

Phoebe was still laughing as she and Bella shared a look. Bella merely shrugged. "Hey, I'm not complaining," she said. "If it weren't for Jeremy, I wouldn't have met Carter."

Phoebe nodded. "Ah, yes, the elusive Carter Sampson, your older-by-seven-years boyfriend," she said, putting on a deeper voice as she teased her sister.

Bella rolled her eyes, glaring at Phoebe again. "I hope you're not going to lecture me about the age difference, too," she sniffed. "I get it enough from Prue and Piper as it is."

Piper gave Bella a reprimanding look. "We're just concerned about you, that's all," she soothed. The pointer, as it had done five different times already since they'd sat down to play ten minutes ago, moved around the board. "Stop pushing the pointer!" Piper directed at Phoebe.

"I'm not touching it," Phoebe tried to defend herself.

Piper rolled her eyes. "You used to always push the pointer," she reminded Phoebe, silently telling her that she wouldn't be falling for her old tricks again. "More popcorn?"

"Ooh, yes please," Bella grinned, her stomach rumbling despite the dinner she'd eaten just a few hours ago.

Piper picked up the empty popcorn bowl and stood, heading in the direction of the kitchen. Phoebe, who was still trying to convince Bella that she wasn't moving the pointer, called out, "Hey, I forgot your question!"

"I asked if Prue would have sex with someone other than herself this year!" Piper called back.

Phoebe wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting!"

Bella, grinning slyly, lowered her voice slightly as she spoke to the board, "Please say yes."

Phoebe shot her a stunned, sideways glance. She was surprised at Bella's words. It was true, Bella had been obsessed with boys ever since she turned eleven and grew curves no fifth grader should have. Her obsession with finding love had only grown when lust had been added into the equation as she got older.

Even so, she hadn't expected Bella to be so forward about anything sexual. She wondered, briefly, if Bella had had sex before. Phoebe herself hadn't done it until she was sixteen but Bella had always been the one to mature at a younger age than the other sisters.

Chuckling to herself and shaking her head, Phoebe turned back to the spirit board. She opened her mouth, to ask Piper's question once more, when the pointer suddenly jerked forward, moving across the board until it was pointing at the letter 'A'.

Both Phoebe and Bella gasped. "Whoa," Bella muttered, a little freaked out.

"Piper?" Phoebe called out, knowing that she was the sister that was likely not going to yell at her for making things up.

The pointer moved again, pointing towards the letter 'T' this time.

Bella frowned. She had lifted her hands off of the pointer but Phoebe's fingers were still pressed on top of it. "Are you moving it?" she accused Phoebe, eyes narrowed.

Phoebe shook her head, instantly defensive. "No, I'm not," she insisted.

Getting increasingly spooked, Bella wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms, feeling the goose bumps. "Piper!" she yelled, trying her hardest not to let her fear show. "Get in here!"

Piper could clearly hear the distress in her youngest sister's voice. Abandoning the popcorn she was making, Piper hurried back into the conservatory. She stared at the two of them blankly. "What?" she asked, not seeing any reason why Bella had sounded so frantic.

Phoebe, yanking her hands away from the pointer as though it had burned her, looked as spooked as Bella, in Piper's opinion.

Prue, having heard both Phoebe's and Bella's yells for Piper, walked into the conservatory as well. "What did you guys do now?" she asked, directing the question mainly at Phoebe, that irritated edge she had earlier when Phoebe had made her grand entrance into the house for the first time in months still prominent in her voice.

Piper's eyes widened minimally. "Me? I didn't do anything," she defended herself.

Prue and Piper turned back to Phoebe and Bella, questioning looks on their faces.

Phoebe, having gone pale white, told them, "The pointer on the spirit board…It moved on its own."

Piper tilted her head to the side, smiling indulgently at Phoebe, while Prue gave her an annoyed glare. They obviously doubted her claim, having grown up with Phoebe always manipulating the pointer on the spirit board whenever they played with it.

Phoebe, noticing their doubtful expressions, insisted, "I'm serious. It spelled 'A, T'."

"Well, did you push it?" Piper asked, her tone kind despite Phoebe's attempt at tricking them again.

"No!" Phoebe replied defensively, maybe a little harshly.

Prue, unconvinced, gave Phoebe a knowing look. "You always used to push the pointer," she reminded her.

"My fingers were barely touching it," Phoebe said. "If you don't believe me, ask Bella. She was right here with me when it happened."

Piper and Prue's attentions went to their youngest sister immediately. Bella, eyes still wide though the fear on her face was now replaced with confusion instead, bit her bottom lip. "I-I don't know…" she muttered, shooting Phoebe an apologetic look. "I can't be sure."

After all, Phoebe's fingers had been on the pointer, even if it was barely touching. She could've easily moved it.

_What about when you were touching the pointer, too?_ Some strange voice in her mind reminded her. _When you felt the pointer move on its own? That strange force? What about that?_ Choosing to deliberately ignore that voice, Bella tuned back in to her sisters.

Phoebe, annoyed that she hadn't gotten Bella's backup, turned back towards Prue and Piper. "Look, I'll prove it to you," she stated defiantly, putting her fingers back on the pointer as she had before, waiting for it to move like it had before.

Prue, Piper and Bella all had their eyes riveted on the pointer. A few seconds passed in an anticlimactic manner, absolutely nothing happening. Prue, having expected nothing else, gave Phoebe a look - one that said 'thanks for wasting my time, as always'.

Prue and Piper turned to walk away when the pointer moved again. "Ah!" Phoebe yelled out, causing Prue and Piper to turn back around. "It did it again! It moved!"

Prue, walking up to the table so she could peer at the board, raised a skeptical eyebrow at Phoebe. "It's still at the letter 'T'," she told Phoebe, smirking slightly.

"I swear it moved," Phoebe insisted, her voice shaky slightly.

Bella, who had seen the pointer moved, bit her bottom lip to keep quiet. She hadn't been touching the pointer herself so she couldn't tell if the pointer had moved on its own like the first time or if Phoebe had moved it. She didn't want to be the one to further irritate Prue - Phoebe was doing a bang up job of it all by herself.

As it was, Prue had reached the end of her rope. Glaring at Phoebe, she turned on her heel and walked away in the direction she had come from, eager to get away from the black sheep of the family.

Piper, looking a little disappointed that Prue had reacted so strongly over one of Phoebe's jokes, watched her older sister walked away for a moment. She heard a tiny scraping noise and her head turned back towards the direction of the spirit board. Phoebe, who had felt the pointer moving, shot up from her chair like Bella had earlier, her hands completely off the wooden board.

Piper watched, with her jaw dropped, as the pointer moved on its own, slowly making its way across the board until it reached the letter 'I'.

"There!" Phoebe said, a little triumphant though her voice was still unsteady. "Look!"

Piper took a step closer to the table, her eyes fixed on the board. Her face was still frozen in a stunned expression.

"You saw that, right?" Phoebe demanded, turning her head back and forth as she alternated looking between Piper and Bella.

Piper simply nodded her head numbly, too shocked to speak, while Bella replied, "I think so, yeah…"

"I told you I wasn't touching it," there was so smugness in her voice - just a certain relief that two out of three of her sisters believed her now.

The pointer started to move once more. Piper jumped, startled, and inhaled deeply in fright. "Prue!" she yelled out for the last Halliwell sister. "Can you come in here a sec?" she watched wide-eyed as the pointer moved again towards the letter 'C'.

The click clack of Prue's heels echoed as she returned into the room. "Now what?" she demanded impatiently.

Piper, despite having called for her, merely opened and closed her mouth several times. She had no idea what to say that wouldn't make her sound like a crazy person.

Fortunately, Bella had absolutely no problem sounding crazy. "The pointer moved again," she informed Prue in a calm voice that hid how freaked she felt. "By itself. Piper and I saw it. Phoebe wasn't even touching the board this time."

Prue, frustrated, threw her hands up in the air. "Bella," she reprimanded sharply. "I can't believe you're buying into this!"

Bella glared at Prue, as stubborn as any Halliwell woman. "I'm not buying into anything!" she defended herself, crossing her arms. "I'm just telling you what I saw."

Phoebe, ignoring the argument between both sisters, said, "I think it's trying to tell us something." She held up the envelope she'd scrambled to get as Piper had called for Prue and showed everyone the letters that had been spelled out before.

On the back of the envelope, Phoebe had spelled out the letters the board had showed them. Together, they spelled the word 'Attic'.

Prue and Piper stared blankly at the envelope. Bella, who had read over Phoebe's shoulder while she wrote, shared an almost fearful look with Phoebe.

Their tensed, silent moment was broken when lightning suddenly flashed and thunder clapped loudly. Bella jumped, startled, and let out a startled cry at the noise, just as the chandelier light flickered a few times and went out.

Prue, turning to look around the darkened room in annoyance, turned back to face Phoebe. "Phoebe, would you stop it!" she demanded angrily, glaring openly at her now. "It wasn't funny when you did it when we were kids and it's not funny now. You're scaring Bella."

Bella, who had always hated being the youngest and loathed it whenever her older sisters babied her, shook off her goose bumps as much as she could and crossed her arms over her chest. Staring defiantly at Prue, she retorted, "I'm not _scared_!"

"I think we should go up to the attic," Phoebe said, ignoring the banter. "See what the spirit board wants us to see."

Prue raised an incredulous eyebrow at Phoebe. "The _spirit board_," she sneered slightly. "Doesn't want us to see anything, Phoebe. It's an inanimate object."

Phoebe glared at Prue, which the latter promptly ignored.

"Besides, even if any of us believed your crazy story," Prue continued disdainfully. "The attic door has always been locked, remember? None of us has ever been able to get it open."

Phoebe frowned at the momentary set back. She could remember herself when she was younger, with a little Bella toddling around behind her, trying to find ways to get the attic door open, convinced there was something like a secret lab or a spy headquarters hidden behind it. The wild imaginations of a kid, she supposed.

"Well, we need to find out what's in there," she insisted stubbornly.

Prue rolled her eyes. "We don't need to do anything," she scoffed.

"Prue," Bella murmured softly, not wanting the two sisters to get into another argument.

Prue reminded herself that even if Bella liked to go around pretending that she was older than she really was, she was only fifteen years old. She needed a stable environment and all this arguing couldn't possibly be good for her.

Looking away from Phoebe for a moment, Prue inhaled before turning back to face her. "Look, the best I can do is ask the handyman coming tomorrow to try and unlock the door," she offered as a sort of grudging peace offering.

"Yeah, well, that's not good enough," Phoebe said stubbornly.

Another rumble of thunder and lightning flash caused Piper to jump this time, snapping her out of her fear-ridden shock. Scrambling away from her sisters, Piper hurried out of the conservatory and made her way down the main hall. "That's it!" she yelled over her shoulder. "I'm outta here! This is too freaky. I'm gonna go to Jeremy's, wait until he's done interviewing people at the crime scene."

"What?" Prue's brows furrowed.

"Don't wait up; I think I'm gonna sleep over there tonight," Piper informed them.

Prue and Bella followed after her while Phoebe took a detour to the kitchen to look for a flashlight she could use.

"Don't you think you're overreacting?" Prue demanded as Piper headed for the front door. "We are perfectly safe here."

"Don't say that," Piper said fearfully. "In horror movies, the person who says that is always the next to die."

Bella snickered while Prue rolled her eyes. "It's pouring rain, there's a psycho on the loose, Jeremy's not even home," Prue pointed out.

Piper, grabbing her coat from the coat rack, shrugged. "So I'll - I'll…I'll wait in the cab 'til he gets home from work," she said lamely, putting on her coat.

Bella snorted. "_That'll_ be cheap," she scoffed, her mind going to her cash flow problems. Lately, her own expenses had been growing larger and larger. She attributed it to her being a teenager now but she knew, deep down, that it had something to do with her slight shopping addiction as well. _Hmm, maybe I should get a part time job_, Bella mused to herself.

Piper glared at Bella for a moment before turning to Prue. "Prue, I saw that pointer move," she insisted.

Prue shook her head. "No, look, what you saw was Phoebe's fingers pushing the pointer," she corrected her. "There's nothing in the attic. She's playing a joke on us."

"We don't know that," Piper retorted stubbornly. "We've lived in this house for months now and we've never been able to get that attic door open."

Grabbing the phone from the side table to call Jeremy and see whether he was heading back to his apartment, Piper groaned when she realized it was dead. "Great!" she threw her hands up in the air. "Now the phone doesn't work!"

"Yeah, the power's out," Prue reminded her. "Look, just go with me to the basement. I need you to hold the flashlight while I check out the main circuit box."

Piper wrinkled her nose. "Why can't Bella go with you?" she asked, really wanting to get out of the manor and go to Jeremy.

Bella huffed. "No way!" she protested immediately. "The night's freaky enough. I don't want to go down to the basement. Phoebe told me there's something evil living down there."

Prue, widened her eyes slightly at Piper as though to tell her 'See? I told you. That girl's just messing with everyone's mind'. Sighing, she fixed Piper with a stern look. "Piper," she growled slightly.

Piper, looking over Bella's shoulder and seeing Phoebe walking out from the direction of the kitchen, nodded at her. "Phoebe will go with you to the basement," she said finally. "Won't you, Phoebe?"

Phoebe, stopping at the foot of the stairs, turned her head to look at her sisters. "No, I'm going to the attic," she told them.

Prue, frowning because Phoebe was deliberately going against what she had said, reminded her sharply, "No, you're not. We already agreed."

"I am not waiting for some handyman to check out the attic and I'm certainly not waiting until tomorrow," she said in a final tone of voice. "I'm going now."

Bella, perking up at the idea of finally getting that attic door open, turned and hurried over to Phoebe. "Ooh, can I come with?" she asked Phoebe eagerly.

Phoebe grinned softly at her younger sister. "Sure, come on," she held out her hand for Bella to take. Once Bella's smaller hand was entwined with hers, they headed up the stairs together, flashlight turned on to guide their way up the darkened stairwell.

Prue scowled slightly at Bella's enthusiasm to follow Phoebe. It wasn't even about the attic, Prue knew that. Bella had always been strangely attached to Phoebe. _It's the age difference_, Prue tried to convince herself. Phoebe was the second youngest while Prue was eleven years older than Bella. _What with Phoebe acting like a screwed up teenager all the time, it was like Phoebe and Bella were the same age_.

Shaking her head, Prue turned on her heel and headed for the basement. Piper, swiveling her head from the stairs to Prue's retreating back, confused as to which direction she should go. Finally, sighing in frustration, she took off after Prue. _Phoebe and Bella can keep each other company_, she thought to herself.

"Prue, wait!" she called out as she hurried after Prue.

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><p>Phoebe and Bella slowly climbed up the stairs, their hands twined together. Bella, who kept refusing to admit that she was as spooked as the others, squeezed Phoebe's hands tightly periodically to reassure herself that she wasn't alone.<p>

They reached the very top of the stairs, staring at the closed attic door. Exchanging a look, they two of them inched closer to it. Phoebe reached out and placed her hand on the door knob. She twisted it to try and open it. Like Prue had said earlier, it was locked.

"No go?" Bella whispered. She wasn't sure why exactly she was whispering but she felt like she had to.

Jiggling the door knob a few more times, Phoebe shook her head.

"Maybe we should go look in the kitchen for something to help us open the door," Bella suggested. "Don't we have a tool box here somewhere?"

Phoebe nodded. "Good idea," she said, the both of them turning away to head back down the stairs.

A sound from behind them made them stop just as they reached the top of the stairs. Wide-eyed, Bella and Phoebe shared a fearful, anxious look before turning around to look at the attic door. They were shocked to find that even though the door had been jammed tight before, it was now wide open.

Phoebe swallowed. "Do you want to head back down?" she asked Bella, knowing that even though her sister would pretend she was fearless, she was far from it.

Bella steeled herself, her eyes taking on a look of determination. "No way," she said firmly. "You go in, I go in."

Phoebe smiled at her, a little grateful. "Okay," she nodded. "Here we go."

They both stepped forward, Phoebe raising her hand slightly to shine the flashlight around the room. They were barely past the threshold of the attic door as they followed the path of light through the darkened room.

"It looks like a regular attic," Bella observed, a slight hint of disappointment in her voice as she took in the overstuffed armchair, the dusty books and various knick knacks on shelves and tables.

The room was spacious and was bigger than Phoebe had imagined it to be. Bella, of course, had held on to her childhood perceptions of the room and had expected a top secret spy lab or something similar. She was a little disappointed that the room looked so ordinary - just various pieces of furniture stored away.

However, her disappointment soon melted away when a beam of light from the ceiling suddenly appeared, falling onto a large storage chest. The beam of light disappeared though the chest continued to glow with some sort of strange, magical light.

Bella felt her adrenaline pumping wildly as she and Phoebe approached the trunk. Bella lifted the lid and took the flashlight from Phoebe as she bent and took hold of the thick, heavy-looking book at the very top of the chest.

It was large, in both width and length, and it was incredibly thick. Some of the pages looked a little yellowed and old. The cover was thick and green, the same symbol from the spirit board etched on the front. It was clearly a very old, antique book.

"Hey, look," Bella murmured to Phoebe as she closed the lid. "It's the same symbol from the board."

Phoebe nodded in agreement with Bella, lifting the book and blowing the thick layer of dust off of the cover. The both of them sat down on top of the trunk. Phoebe placed the book on his lap then opened the cover to the title page.

"The Book of Shadows," Bella read curiously. A recent memory flickered in her mind and confusion lit up on her face as she said, "Hey…You remember my friend Marnie? She believes in witchcraft - that she's a witch - and she told me that a Book of Shadows is some sort of journal for witches."

Phoebe's eyebrows furrowed together. "Witches?" she sounded shocked. "What would a book about witches be in our house?"

Bella shrugged. "Maybe Grams was a witch," she suggested, remembering Piper's claim that she had seen Grams descending the stairs from the third floor on the day she'd been admitted to the hospital.

The confusion disappeared from Phoebe's face as an amused smile spread across her lips. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Yeah, right," she snickered.

Bella huffed a little in irritation at the easy dismissal. She read over Phoebe's shoulder as she turned back to the book, turning the page.

Reading what looked to be a poem - _or a spell_, Bella thought mischievously - Phoebe's voice wavered slightly. "Hear now the words of the witches, the secrets we hid in the night. The oldest of gods are invoked here, great work of magic is sought. In this night and in this hour, we call upon the ancient power. Bring your powers to we sisters four. We want the power. Give us the power," she read aloud.

Both Phoebe and Bella felt a certain tightening in their chests, and their stomachs felt upturned, as though they were getting car sick. Their heads pounded mercilessly, and Bella closed her eyes, groaning in pain. After a few seconds, the pain and the nausea disappeared into nothingness, as though it had never happened in the first place.

Bella frowned slightly. "Huh," she muttered, looking around to see if there would be any difference in the room or in herself and Phoebe. Seeing nothing, and completely unaware of how that one spell had changed their lives forever, as proven by the magical light that was now shining from the chandelier downstairs, Bella raised an eyebrow at Phoebe. "That was anticlimactic. And a little disappointing. I was expecting to be able to fly," she commented dryly.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to reply but Prue and Piper walked in through the open attic door, surprising them both.

"What are you doing?" Prue asked, the disapproving tone ever present in her voice.

Bella and Phoebe exchanged a look before Phoebe nervously replied, "Uh…Reading…An incantation."

Bella, who could already tell that this wasn't going to end up well, let Phoebe explain the whole thing to their sisters. Without missing a beat, Phoebe stood up and headed over to Prue and Piper, holding the book in front of her for them to see.

"It was in this Book of Shadows," she explained. "Bella said it was a book on witchcraft. I found it in that trunk."

Prue raised an eyebrow at Bella. "How do you know about witchcraft?" she asked, her tone accusing.

Bella held up her free hand defensively. "I don't," she assured her oldest sister. "My friend Marnie thinks she's a witch."

Prue frowned a little at Bella before turning back to Phoebe. "Let me see that," she said, taking the book from Phoebe and flipping open the cover to look through it.

Piper, looking around the attic she was seeing for the first time, asked Phoebe and Bella, "How did you get in here?"

Bella shrugged, joining all three of her sisters where they were standing. "The door opened on its own," she informed her.

"Wait a minute," Piper shook her head as Phoebe's words caught up to her. "An incantation? What kind of incantation?" She felt a tiny pinprick of fear - not that she believed in magic and all of that, but she didn't want any weird, bad stuff to happen to any one of them.

Phoebe, excited now that she had read a little more on what that spell had meant, started to chatter enthusiastically, "It said something about there being three essentials of magic - timing, feeling and the phases of the moon…If we were ever going to do this, now - midnight on a full moon - is the most powerful time."

"'This'?" Piper asked her, confused. "Do what 'this'?"

Smiling, Phoebe took a deep breath. "Receive our powers," she said animatedly, eagerly.

"What powers?" Piper asked anxiously. "Wait…_Our_ powers? You included _me_ in this!"

Prue, who had read the entire spell on the first page, looked up. "No, she included all of us," she corrected angrily. "'Bring your powers to we sisters four.' What the hell were you thinking, bringing in a book of witchcraft?" she glared at Phoebe.

Piper, who was now on full blown panic mode, made a grab for the book from Prue. "Let me see that," she said worriedly.

"I didn't 'bring in' a book of witchcraft," Phoebe defended herself. "It was already in the house, we just never knew about it."

Prue, who seemed not to have heard Phoebe's words, shook her head and said, "You know, Bella's still a kid, she doesn't need you - who's older and is supposed to be more mature than she is - to mess with her mind like this."

Bella, who took great offense in Prue's words, crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey! I'm not a kid!"

Prue merely glared at her silently, telling her without words that this wasn't the time for _that_ argument.

"Look," Phoebe said, trying to calm herself down. "I would never do anything like that. I would never mess with Bella's mind or bring anything harmful into the house like that-"

"Oh, yeah?" Prue challenged in quiet anger. "Look at what you've done tonight? The first night you've been back? You scared her with the spirit board, sent her on a wild goose chase up to the attic and now you're trying to shove witchcraft down her throat?"

Phoebe, hands on her hips now, glared angrily at Prue. "Whoa, 'shove it down her throat'?" She repeated furiously. "You're making me sound like some psycho who's out to ruin lives."

Prue crossed her arms across her chest, regarding Phoebe with cool indifference. "Well, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck…"

Phoebe merely gaped at her incredulously.

Ten minutes of Piper-panic later and Prue and Phoebe were still arguing as they all headed downstairs to the main hall. "Spirit boards, books of witchcraft…" Prue listed off. "It figures all this freaky stuff started when you arrived."

Phoebe glared at the back of Prue's head. "Hey, I wasn't the one that found the spirit board," she pointed out to Prue.

"It wasn't _my_ fingers sliding around on the pointer," Prue shot back.

Bella, who was quickly getting a splitting headache from the non-stop quarreling, muttered quietly to Piper, "Do something."

Piper, eager to step forward and mediate like she had done her entire life, said quickly, "But it doesn't matter because nothing happened, right Phoebe, when you did the incantation?"

Phoebe shrugged in response. "Well, my head spun around and I vomited split pea soup," she said sarcastically. "How should I know?"

Piper wasn't to be deterred. "Well, everything looks the same," she said, hoping this would appease Prue enough that she'd let it go.

"Yeah, you're right," Phoebe said, a little disappointed.

"Yeah," Prue reluctantly agreed. "The house still needs work."

Piper nodded, grateful that the arguing seemed to be coming to a stop now. "Everything feels the same, so nothing's changed, right?" she asked, hopeful that all that witchcraft nonsense had meant absolutely nothing at all.

Bella sighed. "Unfortunately," she murmured, not bothering to hide her disappointment at all. Prue gave her a questioning look as they headed into the sitting room and Bella shrugged. "What? It'd be cool if I get to, I dunno, fly or make something explode or something…"

Prue didn't respond, simply giving her a reproachful glare as they moved.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Once again, can I say how awesome you guys are? The reviews are incredible and I hope you feel inclined to review more for this chapter: there's a lot of Bella in this one so more original stuff that couldn't be added in for the last chapter.

P.S. In this chapter, we see a little bit of Bella's kick-ass abilities. I know you're going to say that this Bella is totally out of character from Twilight Bella but, um, that's the point here…So I hope you'll enjoy it even if you're a sucker for canon _everything_. Though I guess you wouldn't be looking at crossover stories if you are…

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed are not my creations. Bella's bitchy attitude is my alter ego.

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><p>The sun had risen barely half an hour ago. Phoebe had been sitting outside on the front steps for almost as long. She was a little too hyped up on coffee to actually feel the exhaustion of staying up the whole night reading.<p>

She stared out into the distance, smiling a little as she watched the light sky, raising the cup of coffee her hands were wrapped around to her lips so she could take her sip. Strangely, after reading so many scary things in the Book of Shadows, she was oddly cheerful.

To know that she wasn't ordinary, that their entire family wasn't ordinary and had probably never been…It gave her hope that her life would have some sort of purpose. Something greater than she'd ever imagined. Something definitely greater than _Prue_ had ever imagined.

Her head spun around when she heard the front door open. Looking up, she saw Bella descending the stairs, all dressed up for school. Bella smiled at her and Phoebe did a double take.

The Halliwell sisters were all beautiful. Admittedly, Bella had never gone through the awkward phase the other three had been cursed with during their adolescence. She was fifteen now and could pass for a gorgeous college freshman if she wanted to. Phoebe couldn't deny that there was a small part of her that was envious of Bella's ability to appear naturally beautiful without even trying.

However, this very morning, Bella seemed to be even more stunning than before.

While her body had always been slim and fit thanks to her athleticism, she seemed even toner now. Her curves were firmer and Phoebe noticed that some of her, uh, _assets_ were slightly bigger than they had been just yesterday. Her hair seemed longer, wavier, more lustrous, and the red and gold in the deep mahogany brown seemed to be more striking. Her features were more delicate and more feminine somehow, looking as though they had been taken straight from a Grecian statue. Her doe eyes, framed by the thickest set of eyelashes, seemed larger and the color deeper, capable of pulling anyone in and under her spell. Her lips were fuller, looking like the most perfectly shaped rose petal, and softer-looking. The only make-up she was wearing was her lip gloss, a sultry deep red color that suited her porcelain face. Her ivory skin actually seemed to be glowing and if Phoebe wasn't mistaken, and she knew she wasn't, Bella seemed a few inches taller.

Phoebe's eyebrows had shot up to her hairline as Bella, grinning, came to sit down next to her on the steps. "Uh - whoa," she commented as she gazed at Bella's apparently newfound inner goddess.

Bella laughed heartily. "_I know, right_!" she gushed eagerly. "I woke up, looked in the mirror and almost had a heart attack…Prue and Piper reacted the same way when they saw me."

Phoebe, still stunned, shook her head. "What…Happened?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed, her smile falling just a smidge. "At first I thought it was because of the…" she trailed off, looking behind her shoulder to make sure that Prue hadn't suddenly crept up behind them. When she was certain that she was in the all clear, she turned back to Phoebe, lowered her voice and continued, "Witch thing. I thought the spell had worked. I mean, it doesn't make any sense, of course. The spell was supposed to conjure up our supernatural powers, not make us look like we turned into supermodels overnight, but it's still so sudden…"

Phoebe brightened up a little. Even if Piper was skeptical beyond belief - and fearful - and even if Prue thought that she was an insane man-stealing psychopath who needed to be committed in a mental institution for bringing in all this 'witch nonsense' into the house, at least Bella believed her. And at least Bella seemed to be as excited about the prospects as she was.

Bella, shrugging, continued, "But then I saw Prue and Piper - and now you - and you three still look the same. So that can't be it."

Phoebe, shaking the shock off, scoffed. "Yeah, thanks a lot," she joked sarcastically, bumping her shoulder with Bella's.

Bella laughed, shaking her hair back. "Oh, you know what I mean," she rolled her eyes. "You know you're gorgeous." Phoebe, more than Prue and Piper, was more confident in her beauty and her self-esteem. Bella had always admired that about her.

"Maybe it's a growth spurt?" Phoebe suggested, not even believing that herself.

Bella gave her an incredulous look. "Right," she drawled disbelievingly.

Phoebe shrugged. "What? You're fifteen - it _could_ happen," she pointed out.

"A growth spurt wouldn't be this drastic overnight and you know it," she retorted.

Phoebe tilted her head to the side, nodding once, acknowledging the truth in her words. The two of them fell silent for a few moments before Phoebe asked, "Don't you need to go to school?"

Bella nodded. "My boyfriend's picking me up," she told Phoebe, a happy grin spreading across her lips.

Phoebe chuckled. "Oh, yeah, your _boyfriend_," she said in a teasing voice. "The older man…What was his name again?"

"Carter Sampson," Bella replied. "He's a reporter working at the same paper as Jeremy."

"Piper's boyfriend?" Phoebe questioned. At Bella's confirming nod, Phoebe asked, "Is that how you met Carter? Through Jeremy?"

Bella shrugged. "Sort of," she replied, pushing back her hair behind her shoulder. "I went with Piper to visit Jeremy at work and met Carter there."

Phoebe nodded, pursing her lips. Bella, noticing the pinched expression on her face, laughed a little. "What?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Nothing," she said, adopting a nonchalant tone. Bella gave her a disbelieving look and Phoebe grinned, relenting. "It's just…I'm surprised Prue let you date this guy. He's older."

Bella grinned. "Sure, she was…_Concerned_," she said delicately. Phoebe had to laugh at her reserved response. "But she's the big sister. She's allowed to."

Phoebe raised an eyebrow at her. "So you just…Listened to what she has to say?" she asked in a wry, incredulous tone. "You follow her rules?"

Bella snorted a little in laughter. "Yeah, _right_," she rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't be dating Carter if I did."

As though on cue, a red Camaro pulled up in front of the driveway.

"Is that him?" Phoebe asked as the driver's side door opened and a man stepped out. He was handsome, Phoebe noted, with dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He had a natural, fair tan and was quite tall at 6'2. He had a muscular build - not overtly so, but not lanky either.

Bella nodded, standing up and rushing into Carter's arms as he neared them.

"Wow, babe!" Carter grinned, showing off his pearly whites as he looked her up and down with a blatantly appreciative look on his face.

_Nice smile, too_, Phoebe commented silently as she watched the exchange.

"You look so gorgeous today," Carter said, leaning down to give Bella a kiss.

When the kiss continued on for over a minute, Phoebe made a face and cleared her throat loudly. The happy couple separated and, with swollen lips and flushed cheeks, Bella made the introductions. "Carter, this is my sister Phoebe. She's just moved back from New York. Phoebe, Carter," she grinned.

Carter smiled widely at Phoebe, reaching out to shake her hand while keeping one arm wrapped around Bella's waist. Phoebe liked to think that she was a good judge of character, that she could read people well, and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Carter was just a friendly, outgoing, all around nice guy as he chatted with her, welcoming her back to San Francisco.

_Of course, there's just the issue of him liking minors as dates_, Phoebe added wryly in her mind, reminding herself a second later that Carter wasn't that old (she herself was only a year younger than he was) even if he was too old for _Bella_ at the present moment.

"Baby, we've gotta go," Carter said finally. "You're gonna be late for first period."

Bella nodded, stepping out of his embrace to give Phoebe a hug. "I'll see you later," she said to her older sister as she pulled away. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Phoebe called, waving as Bella and Carter walked hand in hand to his Camaro. Phoebe sat back down on the porch steps as she watched Carter hold open the passenger's side door for Bella before going to the driver's side.

The Camaro drove away and Phoebe picked up her cup of coffee once more, sipping the warm liquid. She wasn't alone for long, however, as the front door opened again. Phoebe looked behind her, hoping it wasn't Prue she would be running into, and saw Piper coming out of the door. She had her chef's uniform draped over one arm.

"You're up early," Piper stated as she caught sight of Phoebe. She sank down on the steps next to Phoebe, taking Bella's earlier spot.

Phoebe smiled slightly. "I never went to sleep," she corrected Piper.

Piper gave Phoebe a look, grinning as she teased, "Don't tell me you put on a black conical hat and spent the night flying around the neighborhood on a broomstick?"

Phoebe, instead of taking offense at Piper's words, merely chuckled, tickled. "The only broom I've ever had was kept in a closet beside a mop," she quipped.

Piper narrowed her eyes at Phoebe. "So what were you doing?"

"Reading," Phoebe answered curtly, moving on before Piper could question her. "Is Prue around?"

Piper, undeterred by Phoebe's change of subject, answered quickly, "She went to work early." Giving Phoebe a wary look, she asked anxiously, "Reading _aloud_?"

Phoebe gave her a knowing smile. "No, but…" she took in a deep breath before launching into an explanation of what she had learnt from the Book of Shadows. "According to the Book of Shadows, one of our ancestors was a witch named Melinda Warren."

Piper, looking disbelieving, grinned slightly at Phoebe. "And we have a cousin who's a drunk, an aunt who's a manic and a father who's invisible," she joked.

Both Piper and Phoebe stood up, Phoebe following behind her as Piper walked to her car. "I'm serious," Phoebe insisted. "She practiced powers - four powers. She could move objects with her mind, see the future, stop time and when she battled against evil, she was said to have a certain grace about her…An Agility. I looked that up, because that was sort of confusing, and Agility is a type of power, too. It enables the possessor - in this case Melinda Warren - to have superhuman abilities like super strength, Hyper Speed…"

Piper rolled her eyes as Phoebe spoke. "Uh-huh," she said wryly. "Sure it did."

Phoebe ignored that and continued, "And before Melinda was burned at the stake, she vowed that each generation of Warren witches would become stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of four sisters."

Piper exhaled slightly as she placed her clothes in the car. She turned around to face Phoebe who was still ranting about their supposed magical ancestor, "Now, these sisters would be the most powerful witches the world has ever known. They are good witches, and I think we're those sisters."

Piper blew out a breath of frustration. "Look, I know what happened last night was weird and unexplainable," she started, able to admit at least that. "But we're not witches, and we do not have special powers. Besides…Grams wasn't a witch and, as far as we know, neither was mom."

Knowing that she was going to end up being late if she stayed and listened to Phoebe spew on about witches and magical powers, Piper leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. "So take that, Nancy Drew," she teased, turning her back on Phoebe and slipping into the car.

Phoebe, not one to be deterred, continued trying to convince Piper even as Piper started up the car, speaking in a sing-song voice, "We're the protectors of the innocent! We're known as 'The Charmed Ones'!"

Piper waved out her open window as she drove off, leaving Phoebe staring after her in the middle of the street.

* * *

><p>Prue's day was off to a bad start.<p>

She had arrived at the office only to be met with Roger's smirking face, telling her that "There's been a change of plans."

Prue and Roger walked into Roger's office, Prue raising an eyebrow at him. "A change of plans?" she questioned suspiciously. "Regarding the Beal's Exhibition?"

Roger nodded slightly, "The extra money that you helped raise through private donations has sparked significant corporate interest. The Beal's artifacts will now become part of our permanent collection."

"Well, that's terrific," Prue commented, wondering why Roger sounded off if the news was a good one.

Roger nodded again, a slight, insincere smile on his face. "Which is why the board wants someone a little more…Qualified to handle the collection from now on," he explained. Eyeing the look on her face, he commented, "You look surprised."

Prue, whose body had frozen in shock at his words, allowed her eyes to drift back to his face. "I don't know why. I'm furious," she quipped. "Not only have I been on this project since its inception, but I'm the curator who secured the entire exhibition."

The mock diplomatic look on his face gave her an epiphany. "You're the person a little more qualified, aren't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He didn't even try to deny it. "I could hardly say no to the entire board of directors, could I? But I know you'll be happy for me. After all, what's good for me is definitely good for you. Right, Miss Halliwell?" he asked, grinning slightly as he slipped his pen into his shirt pocket.

Prue folded her arms across her chest. "Miss Halliwell?" she questioned icily. "Since when did we stop being on a first name basis? When we stopped sleeping together or when I returned your engagement ring, _Roger_?"

Roger smirked as he sat down at his desk. "I didn't realize the two were mutually exclusive," he commented. "Although I certainly enjoyed one more than the other."

_Oh, God_, Prue thought to herself. _Phoebe was right about him_. "Bastard," she muttered under her breath, glaring at him mutinously before turning around to walk away.

"Uh, Prue!" Roger called out hurriedly. "Wait!"

Prue halted in her steps, turning back around to face him. "I feel like I should say something…If only to avoid a lawsuit," Roger said.

Prue stared at him, sitting there looking as smarmy as ever, wondering what the hell she had ever seen in him. She glared at him one more time, unaware that her anger was causing his favorite pen to leak out in his pocket.

She stormed out of his office, fuming. _I hate it when Phoebe's right_, she sulked.

Halfway across town, Piper was having her own magical mishap.

She was in the restaurant at Quake, the place deserted considering that the restaurant was currently closed. She was stirring the sauce in the pot in front of her. Scooping it up with the ladle she was using, Piper took a deep whiff of it. _Perfect_, she thought to herself. _Just needs the port now_…

She placed the ladle aside before walking over to the counter and picking up the port. She poured some of the port into a measuring cup, carefully calculating how much of it she would need.

Before she could pour the port into the sauce, however, the door to the kitchen swung open and Chef Moore stepped in, fully decked out in his chef's uniform. "Your time," he spoke up gallantly, his French accent prominent. Piper, looking up at the sound of his voice, started to panic. Chef Moore clapped his hands together, "Is up!" he finished.

Piper's eyes widened at that. _Oh, no_, she thought, feeling the panic rising in her. _No, no, no…I'm not done yet!_

She watched as Chef Moore picked up the recipe cards she had brought with her just in case, and read the title of the recipe she had prepared. "Let's see, uh…" he squinted at the menu and read off of it, "Roast pork with Gratin of Florence Fennel and penne with a Port Giblet sauce."

Piper, knowing that she had to speak up even if he was going to be unimpressed that she hadn't finished on time, "Uh…Chef Moore?"

Chef Moore was barely paying her any mind as he said distractedly, "What?"

"Uh…The port…" She muttered timidly, glancing behind her at the measuring cup.

Chef Moore, completely preoccupied with grabbing a fork to take a sample of the pasta, didn't notice Piper's anxiety or understand what she was trying to say. "Yes, without it," he said in his heavy accent. "The sauce is nothing more than a salty marinara, a recipe from a woman's magazine." He scoffed disgustedly.

Piper, growing more apprehensive now, said quickly, "I didn't have time for-"

Chef Moore interrupted her, an impatient look on his face. "Ah-ah-ah," he sang out, holding up a finger, the other hand wrapped around a fork, spearing some of the pasta.

"But - but…" Piper trailed off, her eyes glancing between the fork getting closer and closer to Chef Moore's mouth and to Chef Moore's face. _Oh, God, if he could just freeze for just one second_…she thought wishfully.

The fork was just an inch away from Chef Moore's open mouth when Piper threw up both her hands in the air in blind panic.

Imagine Piper's shock when Chef Moore froze completely, mid-pose. He didn't move an inch, his eyes unblinking, his lips not wavering, even his hand held steady with the fork near his mouth.

"Chef Moore?" Piper called out timidly. She laughed a little, nervous, when he didn't respond, didn't acknowledge her. He didn't even move from his frozen state. She raised her hand and waved it in front of him. He still stayed frozen.

More than a little freaked out, Piper stepped back and moved to the side of him, waving her hand in front of him once more. When she received the same non-existent response, she called out to him, "Hello?"

When he didn't move, she tried again, "Hello!" Her voice was verging on panic by now.

_Wait_, a small voice at the back of her mind spoke up. The voice sounded strangely like Bella, and the advice that it gave was something Piper could picture her gregarious younger sister would say even in a time as unusual as this. _This was what you wanted earlier - more time. Use it. Use it now. Doesn't matter how it happened. You need this job_.

Piper froze for a moment. _Well, it's not like there's anything else I can do_, she thought dryly.

She hurried over to the port, grabbed a baster and dipped it into the measuring cup. She hurried back over to Chef Moore, adding a few drops of the port on top of the pasta just as Chef Moore unfroze.

She stepped back and lowered the baster as the fork disappeared into Chef Moore's mouth, his eyes closing in pleasure at the taste of the food.

"Mmm," Chef Moore hummed, smiling as he chewed. "That is very good. C'est magnifique, eh?"

Piper, still rattled over the completely impossible turn of events, was rendered speechless. She could merely nod nervously in response.

* * *

><p>Prue had spent the better part of her morning fuming in her office. It was nearly lunch time when she decided that she wasn't going to back down. Roger might be a grade a jerk but she had been the one to secure the entire exhibit. She wasn't going to let her slimy ex screw her over. She was going to fight for what she had worked so hard to accomplish.<p>

She was on her way to Roger's office, to tell him just that, to give him one last chance to redeem himself before she went to the board of directors. After all, she had all the proof that she was the one who had done all the work, right there in her office.

As she neared his office, she could hear his smug voice drifting out the open door from inside. "It was my idea to spark corporate interest from private donations. Besides, not only have I been with this project since its inception…" Roger was saying.

Prue, frozen in a sort of stunned disbelief, shook herself out of it enough to walk in through the doorway. She saw Roger sitting behind his desk. His chair was turned away from the door as he spoke on the phone, tying on a new tie around his neck.

Her jaw dropped as she listened to him continue his blatant lies, taking absolute credit for everything she had worked her butt off for months, "…But we both know who _really_ secured the entire exhibit."

She had schooled her features, erasing most of the shock, and replacing it easily enough with the outrage that was coursing through her veins, when he spun around on his chair, catching sight of her standing there in his office in hearing range of everything he was saying.

Panic overtook his expression. "Prue," he said, completely surprised.

Looking into the bastard's face, the solution came to her so easily. "I quit," she stated icily.

Fumbling now, Roger hurriedly spoke into the phone, "I'm going to have to call you back." He hung up, standing up. "Ahem," he coughed, trying his best convincing smile that she found absolutely loathsome at this point. "Think about this, Prue."

"Lousy job, lousy pay and lousy boss," she listed off. "What's to think about?"

Roger, not to be fazed, retorted without missing a beat, "Your future because, believe me, if you walk out with no notice, you can kiss any references -"

Prue narrowed her eyes at his rising tone. "Don't threaten me, Roger," she warned.

The warning in her voice must have been abundantly clear to Roger, who dropped his angry attitude and 'I'm-in-charge-and-have-a-higher-power-over-you' approach. Sighing, he gave her a fake rueful smile. "You know me - had to try," he tried to joke. Seeing the less than impressed look on Prue's face, he tried again, going for empathy this time. "You're hurt, you're angry, your pride is wounded - and I understand all that," he assured her in a mock understanding tone. "That's why you can't see that I'm doing you a favor."

Prue blinked at him. "Excuse me?" she asked, unable to believe his gall.

"I _had_ to take the exhibit away from you," Roger explained in an almost nonchalant tone. "If I hadn't, the board would have come in and - and put a total stranger in my place…Think about it, Prue. I'm here for _you_, not some stranger. You should be thanking me, not leaving me."

_Unbelievable_, Prue grumbled to herself. She had enough pride and believed in her self-worth enough to come to the conclusion, '_this is just not worth it. I can do better_'. "Well, I'm not worried," she said, letting a small, smug smile grace her lips as she stared unblinkingly at him. "I'm certain your intellect will make quick work of the seventy-five computer discs and the thousands of pages of research I left in my office."

Roger's smile fell off his face completely. "You're going to regret this," he tried to threaten her.

"Oh, I don't think so," Prue said in an almost sing-song tone of voice. Something about all of this was giving her an almost airy attitude. It had to be the liberating feeling of finally letting go of a horrible part of her life, and the adrenaline that came with doing it. The migraine will kick in later, she was sure of it. "I thought breaking up with you was the best thing I had ever done but _this_ definitely tops that."

Smiling now, she was able to say in a light-hearted manner, "Good-bye, Roger."

_And to think_, she thought to herself, chuckling internally. _Just a few months ago and it would've pained me to say that. What was I thinking!_

She turned on her heel, walking out of his office, feeling like a million bucks for finally telling him off and putting him in his place.

Of course, Roger - who was incredibly flustered at this drastic turn of events - had to have the last word. "I hope there are no office supplies in your purse!" he called out at her retreating back.

Prue paused in the hallway outside Roger's office, her smile fading slightly as she heard his comment. Anger coursed through her once more and her clenched her fingers into claws, imagining herself strangling Roger for one very brief moment.

As she continued to walk away, Roger was busy trying to get his tie off of him, choking as the material magically tightened around his neck and wouldn't give. Finally, he managed to cut it off using a pair of scissors, his red face twisted into a mask of fear and confusion.

"What the hell was that!" he gasped out, blinking away unshed tears and sucking in much needed air.

* * *

><p>Bella sighed as she stared despondently out at the tracks from the sidelines. She was already decked in her gym clothes and was now standing next to her friends, waiting for their coach to appear.<p>

The day had been so strange to begin with.

First she had woken up looking like she had undergone plastic surgery and healed beautifully all in the span of seven hours. All her small imperfections from before had disappeared completely, including the scar from her bike accident she'd gotten when she was seven and the small cluster of freckles on her shoulder blade. Her lips were fuller, more evenly proportioned, and her hair was shinier, more lustrous than it had ever been. Her body was more statuesque, curvier and lovelier, and other people had taken notice of that as well.

When she had gotten to school, she'd noticed that she garnered even more attention that she normally did. What was weird was that it wasn't just boys that were drawn to her, the girls were, too. It wasn't as though the girls were sexually attracted to her - or, _most_ of them weren't anyway - they just seemed to want to be closer to her, to be friends with her. She had been shocked when Lauren Mallory, the girl who had sought out to make her life a living hell since middle school, asked her to sit with her. Bella had declined, of course, having been thoroughly freaked out. Lauren hadn't even been upset, just smiled and told her that the offer still stood if she changed her mind.

Coach Clapp walked out of the school building, clipboard in hand and whistle around her neck, dirty blonde hair tied up in a neat ponytail. Her eyes swept over the group one more time, and Bella saw that Coach's eyes strayed on her a few seconds longer, the incredulity at her physical appearance still as clear now as it was when she had been checking names at the beginning of the period to ensure everyone was there.

"Alright!" Coach called out to all of them.

Students who had been gathered in groups talking to their friends snapped their heads around to the front to look at Coach Clapp. She wasn't known for her easy temperament, after all.

"We're going to be doing two things today," Coach continued once she saw she had everyone's attention. "First, I want you to run laps…"

A few people groaned at that.

Coach ignored and continued. "Girls, I want you to run twice around the tracks. Boys, four laps," more groaning was cut off by Coach's icy glare. "When you're done, head inside. We're playing some basketball today. No co-ed teams. There are eight girls and eight boys in this class so form a team of four players each. Got it? Good."

Marnie Dell and Angela Webber, Bella's best friends since pre-school, shared a long-suffering look. "I hate gym," Marnie sighed, Angela nodding in agreement.

Bella shrugged. "Ah, it's not so bad," she said as the three of them shuffled towards the tracks along with the rest of the class.

Angela snorted. "Speak for yourself, Lee," she teased good-naturedly.

Bella had to laugh. Ever since she was a young child, she had been interested in martial arts. It was all Phoebe's fault, really, for letting Bella watch Bruce Lee movies with her. Recently, with Bella's intense pursuit of her martial arts career, not to mention her love for Bruce Lee, her friends had taken to calling her 'Lee' as an inside joke nickname.

"What? It's not just me," Bella defended. "Besides, we eat way too much junk food. Gym's good once in a while."

Marnie rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure, it's good for _us_," she said in a mock disgusted tone. "We all know you never gain any weight no matter how many times we pig out."

Bella smirked in her direction as they stretched. "You're more than welcome to join me at my dojo, Marnie," she offered sweetly. "I'm going there after school today, as a matter of fact."

Marnie wrinkled her nose. "Ugh - no," she sighed. "I hate sweating. It's bad enough I have to do that _now_."

The three of them laughed as Coach blew her whistle, and then they were off.

Bella had always been athletic. That, in her mind, wasn't something extraordinary she should brag about. It was like having brown hair, or being born with ten fingers and ten toes. It was something to be expected of her, nothing to be proud about. Being athletic was something that had been a part of herself ever since she was practically a toddler.

She ran every evening on the weekdays and she jogged every morning whenever she didn't have school. She was on the school girls' varsity basketball team. She swam twice a week at the community center's public pool. She visited the gym every Saturday morning and she trained martial arts five times a week.

Angela had once told her that she was obsessive about her physical abilities, even if she didn't acknowledge that herself.

Bella wasn't modest enough, though, to be unable to admit that she was in very good shape.

However, no matter how fit she was, she had never ran as fast as she had that particular morning in gym class. She upstaged all of the girls, and was faster than most of the boys. She was done running two laps around the tracks before half the boys were done with one.

As she veered off the tracks, she noticed the incredulous, bewildered looks the rest of her classmates had given her. Bella slowed to a jog as she reached the bleachers, a frown on her face. _That can't have been normal, right?_ She questioned as she grabbed her water bottle sitting next to her school hoodie.

Looking around, she noticed that she was - of course - the first one to have finished running. _Now what?_ Bella huffed silently. _I can't go in. It's been too little time. Coach will think I made it up. Even I don't believe it_.

"Halliwell!"

Bella jumped, and swiveled around to see Coach leaning against the side door leading to the gym. Her clipboard was against her chest and it was obvious from her incredulous expression that she had been watching Bella and the others run.

"You done, right?" Coach bellowed.

Bella nodded. "Er…Yeah, Coach, I'm done," she called back.

Coach stared at her a long time. "Okay," she nodded finally. "Come in. Your classmates will catch up to you."

Not knowing what else she could do, Bella nodded. She threw one last look at her classmates still running laps and turned back to head to the gym.

Coach waited until Bella had reached the side door before pulling it open, walking in with her. The cool air from the air conditioners in the gym hit Bella's skin instantly and she realized with a jolt that, unlike previous times before when she had ran laps, her skin wasn't even the least bit overheated and was dry, not a drop of sweat on it.

"You know, I've never seen anyone run as fast as you, Bella," Coach Clapp said as they walked side by side towards the middle of the gym. "You should consider joining track."

Bella blushed just a tiny bit. "Uh, well, I'll think about it," she answered. "I've already got basketball and I go to the dojo practically every day so I'm not sure I'll have the time."

Coach nodded understandingly. "Sure," she said, sounding a little disappointed. "But if you change your mind…"

"I'll know where to find you," Bella assured her.

By this time, several others had joined them, trickling in one by one. All of them shot Bella disbelieving looks as they walked in. Coach slipped back into teacher-mode and started instructing them to form teams and enlisted Mike Newton to help her get the basketballs from the equipment room.

Bella, still frowning in confusion at her sudden dramatic increase in athletic ability, turned towards the bleachers to wait for Marnie and Angela to join her. _God, it's been a weird couple of days_, Bella sighed. _I can't wait for normal to settle back in_.

Unfortunately for her, 'normal' didn't seem like it was going to be a part of her day.

Marnie and Angela came into the gym side by side, both of them talking animatedly to one another. When they approached Bella, they turned towards her with wide, eager eyes and it was obvious that the topic of their conversation was her.

Bella was spared having to answer their fervent, skeptical questions when Coach blew her whistle, yelling out for teams to be formed. Bella, Marnie, Angela and a girl from their World History class called Joan formed a team together and played on one side of the court against Lauren, Jessica and two of their cronies.

Like before on the track, Bella's performance seemed better, sharper. Her jumps were higher, her throws more accurate, and she didn't miss a single basket. She evaded each and every one on Lauren's team and it seemed as though she was running her own show on the court.

"Been practicing, Bella!" Coach called out approvingly.

Though she hadn't been practicing any more than she had before this bizarre day had started, Bella nodded anyway, a nervous smile on her lips. What else could she say? 'My sister cast a spell from a witch handbook and now suddenly I'm running around like a pro athlete?' She'd have booked herself a luxury suite at the nearest mental hospital if she ever said that.

"Keep it up!"

Thankfully, gym was her last class of the day. Taking a quick shower in the girls' locker room, she was in and out in mere minutes, hurrying to get out before Marnie and Angela had the chance to question her. None of what she had done earlier was her usual standards and she knew that they were suspicious.

"Bye, guys!" she called out as she jogged past them by their lockers, still getting ready to get into the showers. "I'll catch you guys tomorrow!"

Ignoring her friends calling out for her, she briskly made her way out of the school and towards the nearest bus stop.

The dojo was only ten minutes away from the school, and she had at least half an hour before class started. Normally, she'd get a bite to eat before heading in but she felt like going in earlier and making good use of a punching bag to work out her confusion. Aggression, she'd learned early on in life, helped clear her mind, as strange as it sounded.

The fifteen minutes she spent hashing out her frustrations on a punching bag did absolutely nothing to give her answers, but at least she was minimally calmer by the time she headed towards her class.

Her instructor was a man named Sensei Shang. He was nearing his forties, though his body was in better form than men in their twenties. He was originally from Japan though he moved to the States the moment he turned eighteen, wanting to start a new life here. He'd lived in San Francisco most of his time in the States and had co-founded the dojo with a friend of his some fifteen years ago.

The dojo was one of the best martial arts school in the city and her instructor was one of the top martial artists in the Bay City area, as well. Bella had only recently moved up in the grade, eligible enough to take up a class taught by him. She was very proud of the fact and had been incredibly intimidated the first time she had ever entered his class.

He was good at what he did, though he intimidated her more now that she had met him. Months of being his student hadn't lessened that intimidation. In fact, she was pretty sure it had worsened. However, she could admit that he was an incredible teacher. She learned a lot from him and was constantly amazed by his skills.

She knew she had a long way to go before she could ever reach his level of expertise. This was why, when they sparred on the mat, Bella was as shocked as the rest of the class when Sensei Shang was the one being flipped onto his back, Bella the clear victor of their friendly spar.

Bella stood, mouth gaping in shock, as she stared down at her stunned teacher. "That was…" Sensei trailed off, not knowing the right word for it.

_Not possible?_ Bella supplied silently. _Out of this world? Strange? A hallucination somehow suffered by the entire class?_

Sensei Shang was over twice her age and he had been studying martial arts for nearly thirty years. Even though she had started young, there was no way she could've beaten him, even in a friendly match. She knew for a fact that Sensei never _let_ his students win against him unless there was a point to be made. For this particular spar between them, Sensei was supposed to be teaching his students a new move. Bella knew she would've been beaten by him. How had she won?

All she remembered was seeing him coming at her but instead of the usual drive to learn, her mind had gotten hazy. The world around them slowed down, and her focus was sharpened on him. His every move was clear to her. Then he had neared her, and while the world continued moving at an unusually slow pace, it had felt like _she_ had sped up somehow. Sensei was moving too slowly, just like the rest of the world, and she had, in a manner, beaten her opponent by anticipating his next move and countering them. He was flat on his back on the blue mat before he could blink.

Maybe she'd accidentally inhaled something on the way to school…

"…Very good," Sensei finally said, bringing Bella out of her shock-induced daze.

She nodded numbly when Sensei asked if she still wanted to partake in their spar. She kept a close watch on her actions, her senses tingling when she thought she was going to do something abnormal once more, but nothing out of the ordinary cropped up the rest of the lesson. She took her break after class before heading for Judo, just like she did every Wednesday. Again, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

She could almost believe that she had imagined every weird thing that had happened to her that day.

Almost.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed!

I wasn't sure if Bella's ability - which is called 'Agility' - would be well-received. It's an actual power in the Charmed universe. If any of you remember the empath episode in season 3 when Prue fought Vinceres, the demon who had been cursed previously before she intercepted, Prue could suddenly move at a speed and grace she didn't have prior to receiving empathic powers and she could fight way better than she could before. Prue's Agility in that episode was fuelled by her telekinesis and her temporary empathic powers, of course, but Bella's is purely her own.

If 'Agility' still confuses you (I'm not sure I'm explaining it right to begin with), then just go to the Charmed Wiki page and look it up there. They have a page dedicated to it.

Please enjoy this next chapter and review to tell me what you think. Thank you once again, I appreciate every review I've received for this story.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Piper had just left Quake, and her nerves were still rattled. Chef Moore had absolutely loved the pasta she had made, but what had occurred in the kitchen with Chef Moore freezing so strangely was too unsettling.<p>

Knowing that it was in no way normal - and wasn't some sort of a joke by the Frenchman, either, as Piper had checked by 'subtly' referencing the awkward moment once she had gotten the job - she knew that there was only one person she could talk to about what she suspected had happened in the kitchen.

The moment she was out of the restaurant, Piper had quickly made her way towards the nearest phone booth. Dialing the familiar number to the manor, Piper waited impatiently for Phoebe to answer. "Phoebe, answer the phone," she muttered to herself. She knew Phoebe had to be at home. With Prue, herself and Bella gone for the day, Phoebe had mentioned wanting to stay at home, relax and take the time to catch up on some much-needed rest. "Answer the phone."

The phone continued to ring, uninterrupted, and too impatient, Piper hung up. _I'll just go home right now_, she decided. _Maybe it's better to have this conversation face-to-face, anyway_.

Turning around, Piper pushed open the door to the phone booth and exited. She wasn't looking where she was headed, however, her eyes fixed to the floor as her mind reeled over the day's surprising events and everything that had happened last night. As a result, she completely missed the fact that her boyfriend, Jeremy, was standing right in front of her until she bumped into him.

She let out a small shriek of surprise when she bumped into a solid body, her paranoia acting up. "Oh, God, Jeremy!" she gasped, one hand pressed to a racing heart as she recognized Jeremy's face. "You scared me."

"I-I can see," he gave her a concerned smile. "I'm sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah, now I am," Piper replied sincerely, feeling some of her earlier apprehension melting away at his comforting, familiar presence. "I really am. Um…What are you doing here?" she asked, looking around. The paranoia was starting to creep back in.

"Well, I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you on your new job," he replied with an easy smile.

Piper smiled back, her anxiety dissolving completely. "You're always surprising me," she said fondly. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "You prepared your specialty," he answered as though this was reason enough for her to get a job at one of the best restaurants in town. "And anyone who's ever sampled your work can truly see how talented you are."

Giving him a coy smile, Piper placed both her hands in his and allowed him to pull her near. "I get so turned on when you talk about food," she told him playfully.

He smiled. "Hot dogs…Hamburgers…" he murmured in a low, teasingly seductive voice. Pulling her even closer so that their lips were almost pressed against one another, he whispered into her mouth, "Pizza…"

She stifled a smile as she leaned up and kissed him, all thoughts of her stressful interview and the impossible, inhuman feat she'd managed to do thrown out of her head.

* * *

><p>After Piper had left for the day, Phoebe had gone back into the house. She considered getting something from the kitchen for breakfast but she was far too tired to feel much hunger. Deciding to get some sleep in to make up for staying up all of last night, Phoebe trudged upstairs to her bedroom, turned on the TV for some background noise and curled underneath the covers. She fell asleep ten minutes into watching a mindless daytime soap.<p>

She woke up a few hours later and was surprised to find that it was already past lunchtime. "I guess I was more tired than I thought I was," she mused to herself. Swiping a hand down her face, Phoebe stifled a yawn. Climbing out of bed, she decided on a shower before heading downstairs for some lunch.

They didn't have anything she could whip up to the best of her culinary abilities, like instant noodles, but tons of fresh produce.

She knew that Piper must have taken over all mealtime duties ever since Grams had passed away. A small pang of guilt hit her as she remembered Bella's emails during her time in New York, telling her stories about the family that were sad even when they weren't supposed to be, the young girl still grief stricken over losing their family's matriarch.

Shaking the sadness off, Phoebe reminded herself that she had needed the time away from San Francisco. Things at home had gotten too tense and Grams' death had only served as the push Phoebe had needed to get on the road. Bella had understood that, even if she hadn't liked it.

Grabbing some cereal and a large slice of leftover homemade pie Bella had obviously made (she couldn't cook to save her life but she'd grown up bonding with Grams and Piper in the kitchen whipping up desserts to satisfy her sweet tooth), Phoebe sat in front of the TV and channel-surfed as she ate.

There was only so much mind-numbing TV a person could watch, even Phoebe, and she found herself turning it off halfway through a badly acted show with horrible dialogue and too-predictable plots. Throwing the remote almost violently on the couch next to her with a disgusted scowl, Phoebe slumped back against the cushions, wondering what she could else she could do to entertain herself until Bella, at least, came back home.

_I wonder if she's still taking martial arts lessons_, Phoebe mused to herself. A glance at the clock read it was nearing four. _She must be. She would be home by now if she wasn't_.

She sighed, before a thought occurred to her. Her eyes drifted towards the stairs and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she considered.

_I've got nothing else to do_, she reasoned. _And there's nothing wrong just reading in my head, is there? Prue seemed very intent on ignoring this, and it's not like Piper and Bella are jumping up and down to learn more. Maybe I should learn as much as I could in case we ever need the information…_

It only took her a moment to think it over before she was jumping up from the couch and racing up the stairs to the attic. The Book was right where she had left it - inside the trunk where Prue had stashed it last night. She didn't want to risk her sisters, especially Prue, coming up here for whatever reason and realizing that the Book was out in the open. Prue would be even angrier than she already was.

Picking up where she had left off in the early morning, Phoebe begun reading about the terrifying existence of warlocks and the reason they existed in the first place - to steal witches' powers by killing them, and moving up the food chain.

She was so absorbed in her reading, hunched over as she sat on top of the chest lid like she had the night before with Bella by her side, losing track of time. When she straightened up to give her tired eyes a rest, she winced at the soreness of her back and the tiny 'crack' she had heard from her bones.

Glancing at her wristwatch, Phoebe's eyebrows raised to her hairline. It had been over an hour since she had been reading. Feeling too exhausted to continue, Phoebe closed the heavy book on her lap and carefully placed it back in the trunk.

Stretching, Phoebe slowly made her way down the stairs. A quick peek out the window and at the empty driveway told her none of her sisters were back. Deciding that it was best if she got out of the house and get some fresh air, Phoebe shrugged on her jacket and headed out of the house. A detour into the garage made her smile triumphantly when she found her old bike. After making sure that it was still safe to ride on, Phoebe climbed on the bike and rode out onto the pavement.

_This was a good idea_, Phoebe thought to herself as she rode down the street. She could already feel her head clearing up. Thoughts of the very real possibility of magic being a part of their lives, of her mangled relationship with Prue, of how she still felt lost despite everything that had happened to her in the past six months…All of those flew out the window as she allowed herself to get lost in the serene feeling of just riding on her bike without a care in the world, the wind gently blowing through her hair.

Peace didn't last long, however, as she was suddenly struck by a flood of images in her mind. Her body tensed, a gasp escaping her lips as moving pictures begun to form in her head; images of events she had never witnessed happening, involving people she had never before seen in her life.

_Two teenage boys were joking around with one another as they skated down the street on their roller skates. They were too preoccupied to notice the car approaching them until it was too late. The panicked driver, unable to stop in time, honks to warn them. They looked up, shouting when they saw the car heading straight for them, but it was too late to stop for them and the car. The car hit them head on and both boys were hit as they crashed into the moving vehicle. They lurched forward, to the side of the car, obviously hurt as they collapsed._

Phoebe blinked a few times to rid herself of the horrifying mental image her mind had just drug up. _What the hell was that?_ She wondered to herself. _Man, I must be going insane…_

Just as she dismissed the bizarre mini movie that had just played in her mind, she caught sight of the black car that she had just pictured in her mind. She stared at it in disbelief. _No, that can't be it_, she tried to reason. _I mean, there are a lot of black sedans like that in San Francisco. It's a coincidence…Isn't it?_

She rode her bike a little further, past some bushes, and her eyes widened when she saw the same two teenage boys she had seen in her mind's eye a few seconds ago. They were wearing the same clothes, joking around in the same manner they had been in her 'vision' and they were on roller skates, as well.

_Vision_, Phoebe started. _No way. Maybe I got the power of premonition!_

She started getting excited for a moment before realizing that if that were true, then everything that she had just 'Seen' was about to happen. Those two boys were about to get hit by a car. As it were, they were heading straight towards the path of the moving car.

"No!" she shouted, fearing for them. "Wait!"

Without thinking of her own safety, Phoebe leaned forward and pushed the pedals of her bike faster, speeding towards the direction of the would-be collision. Riding past the startled teenagers, who managed to halt in time to avoid crashing into her, she swerved in front of the car, falling onto her side in the middle of the road as she lost her balance. The black car swerved, as well, to avoid hitting her and, in the process, managed to miss hitting the two boys.

Although the pain in her side was excruciating, Phoebe found herself feeling glad that the two boys were fine and oddly prideful for having stopped an accident from happening. Once she had registered that everyone was okay, the adrenaline started to recede and the pain started to get a little more unbearable.

The black car screeched to a stop a few feet away from where Phoebe had fallen and the driver quickly got out of his vehicle. The boys and the driver rushed to Phoebe's aid, all blissfully unaware of the much larger tragedy that would've happened had it not been for her interference.

* * *

><p>When Prue came to pick her up at five thirty, Bella was no less confused than she had been hours ago back at the school running tracks.<p>

"Hey," Bella greeted her sister as she slipped into the passenger seat of Prue's Mazda. She twisted around in her seat to place her school bag and her duffel in the backseat. Her eyebrows drew together at the boxes full of things already occupying part of the backseat. She threw her bags next to the boxes then turned back around to face the front. "What's with the boxes?" she asked, twisting open the cap of her water bottle.

Prue gave Bella a proud little smile. "I quit my job," she stated happily.

Bella choked on her drink. Coughing and spluttering, she rasped out, red-faced, "God, that went down the wrong pipe…"

Prue, after making sure her youngest sister wasn't going to choke to death in her care, started driving away from the dojo.

Bella watched incredulously as Prue drove, humming slightly to imaginary music, her fingers tapping against the steering wheel. "Okay, have you completely lost it?" Bella finally asked when they'd driven two blocks and Prue hadn't uttered another word about the meltdown that had obviously been the only reason why she would've quit her job out of the blue.

Stopping at a red light, Prue gave Bella a bewildered look. "What?"

"Prue, you _quit_ your job," Bella said slowly, as though Prue didn't grasp what this meant. "This means that you can't go back in tomorrow and go into your office and start authenticating stuff or whatever lame thing it is you do there."

Prue scowled slightly. "I know," she answered, choosing to ignore the last part of Bella's rant. "I just…I walked in on Roger stealing an exhibit from right under me."

Bella's eyes flared in anger. "And you decided to let him walk all over you?" she asked disapprovingly. "That was your idea of payback? Quitting on him and letting him take credit for work you've done?"

Prue knew Bella's indignation stemmed from two reasons - firstly, Bella had always hated Roger. Even before the whole Phoebe fiasco, Bella had never been a fan of the man. She'd told Prue time and time again that Roger was a 'slime ball' but Prue had never believed her. After all, she had been about thirteen when Prue and Roger had decided to get together. What could a thirteen year old girl know more about love and relationships than her, Prue had thought naively.

Secondly, Bella was a feminist. She loved being a strong, independent, tough chick who would gladly - figuratively and literally - beat anyone who tried to do her wrong. She had always been happy that they'd grown up in a female-dominated household. While Piper and Phoebe - and on very rare, never-spoken-of moments, Prue as well - had wondered from time to time what it would be like if their father had stuck around, Bella had never been curious about how different things would be if Victor had never left or if her own unnamed, unknown father had chosen to be in the picture. She strongly held on to the belief that what men could do, women could do better.

"No," Prue sighed, a little exasperated already. Bella was a stubborn arguer. If she got started, it'd take hours for her to wind down even just a little. Grams used to say that it was the same for each sister - they just refused to see it. "I just…Didn't see the point in staying anymore, Bella."

Bella's immediate witty comeback died on her lips when she caught the slightly saddened edge in her sister's voice. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

Prue shrugged. "You know, before today…I don't really know what I was expecting, considering everything that happened, but I guess a part of me was hopeful," she said carefully. As good as it felt to finally admit all of this, she had to remember that she wasn't talking to Piper, but to a young teenager who believed she was older than she really was. It wouldn't do to reveal too much of the gory details to her. "But today, he was trying to pull a fast one over me, stealing an exhibit that I've slaved over for months…And it just hit me. Everything about my job there - including him - sucked. I didn't have a reason to stay."

"And Roger?" Bella asked, her voice softer but still with a steely edge in it. "He's gonna just get away with it?"

Prue shrugged, a slightly sly smile on her lips. "Well, he's got over seventy discs and hundreds of files to sort through for the exhibit," she grinned at Bella. "Let's see how he enjoys actually doing the work himself."

"You think he's gonna fail?"

"Epically."

Bella eyed her sister for a few long moments with narrowed eyes before reaching over to pat her leg. "You might have some of my evil in you," she grinned, back to her old exuberant self.

Prue chuckled, shaking her head. She opened her mouth to comment but all of a sudden, the sharp ring of her cell phone pierced the air. Not recognizing the number, Prue pulled over on the side of the road before answering her cell. She didn't always remember to do that, nor did it always matter to her, but Bella would be starting Driver's Ed soon enough and she wanted to set a good example for her baby sister. If she didn't, then who would?

"Hello?" she said into the phone as she answered the call. "Yes, this is Prue Halliwell. What!"

Bella turned to look at Prue, a frown settling on her lips as she heard the startled tone and saw the worried shadow on the older woman's face.

"Is she alright?" Prue asked, and Bella begun to panic.

'She', Bella could only assume, had to have meant either Piper or Phoebe. Were one of her sisters injured somehow? Irrationally, her mind flashed back to last night, when she and Phoebe had been perusing the Book of Shadows, and the drawings of scary looking monsters had decorated the edges of pages in the book.

Almost immediately, she swatted away the thought. _Now isn't the time, Bella_, she chided herself. _Piper or Phoebe could be hurt. I can't be thinking of magical powers and imaginary beings_.

_Is it imaginary, though?_ Another sneakier voice drifted to the forefront of her mind. _Think back to everything you did today. Every impossible thing. Isn't it even the slightest bit possible…?_

"Alright. Yeah, I'll be there," Prue sighed as she hung up.

Bella snapped back to reality. Concerned eyes rest on Prue. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Prue nodded. "Phoebe got into a little accident," she said. Seeing the fear flashing across Bella's face, she quickly added, "Everything's fine. She just has a minor concussion. They called me because, apparently, I'm still listed as her emergency contact. Is it okay if we swing by the hospital to pick her up?"

"Uh - _yeah_!" Bella said in a tone that told Prue she was crazy for even asking. "Step on it. I wanna make sure Phoebe's really okay…But not too fast because us getting into an accident right now would be pretty ironic."

Prue rolled her eyes as she pulled away from the curb.

They made it to the hospital in an hour, twice as long as it would've taken had it not been for rush hour traffic. By the time they approached the receptionist's desk, the sun had already set, the sky as dark as night outside.

Bella walked next to Prue, uncharacteristically quiet. Prue didn't give it much thought, assuming that she was just worried about Phoebe. "Hi," Prue greeted the nurse behind the counter. "Um, I'm looking for my sister, Phoebe Halliwell."

Bella glared slightly at Prue. "_We're_ looking for her," she corrected, a slight hint of indignation in her tone.

Prue had to smile - Bella had never been fond of being left out of anything. In the event that she was made to feel left out, she'd do her best to make sure others knew she was still 'in the loop'. She was sure Bella's hatred for being left out of anything had something to do with the fact that her sisters were all much older than she was. Even Phoebe, the youngest next to Bella, was almost seven years her senior. Bella hated being the baby in the family, after all.

The nurse nodded. "One second, please," she said to them. Turning to the person who had been there before the two sisters - a man with his back turned from Prue and Bella - she asked, "What's the name again?"

"Inspector Andrew Trudeau," the man replied, and Prue and Bella started, sharing a shocked look. "Homicide. Dr. Gordon's expecting me."

The nurse turned and left, presumably to find Dr. Gordon, and Bella nudged Prue in the side to encourage her to approach her old childhood sweetheart. Prue threw Bella a small glare without any heat in it, which Bella smirked at in response, and called out, "Andy?"

Andy spun around, startled, and his eyes lit up when he caught sight of Prue. "Prue?" he grinned. She smiled back at him, her eyes taking him in as a pang of nostalgia hit her heart. "I don't believe it. How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied instantly. "How are you?"

"I'm, uh, fine," he murmured, still sounding awed. "Just can't believe I'm running into you."

Bella cleared her throat and when Andy finally managed to tear his eyes away from Prue to glance her way, she quirked an eyebrow, cocked her hip and rested her hand on it. "What am I, chopped liver?" she asked sarcastically. "I get that you two have to have the sexual tension thing going but give a sister some love, too, Andy."

Andy laughed nervously while Prue blushed, throwing Bella another glare. "Bella, hey," Andy smiled warmly at the girl he had known since she was a tiny baby. "Wow…You look so different."

Bella smirked. "Well, I hope so," she drawled. "The last time you saw me, I was seven. I'd be concerned if I _hadn't_ changed."

Andy smiled as Bella stepped forward, and accepted her brief hug. "You look really good," Andy complimented her.

Bella shook out her long, flowing tresses and put on a mock snotty voice as she replied, "I'm gorgeous." At Andy's chuckle, she added in her normal voice, "But you should probably save all the smooth talk for Prue."

Prue openly glowered at Bella now. "Bella!" she hissed.

Bella rolled her eyes but shut her mouth, pouting slightly now that she couldn't have fun at her sister's expense.

Prue and Andy turned their attention back to one another. "So…What are you guys doing here?" Andy asked, eyebrows crinkling slightly in worry. "Is everything okay?"

Prue nodded. "Yeah, we're, uh, picking up Phoebe," she explained. "She had some sort of accident."

Andy frowned. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Uh, yeah, she'll be fine," Prue said dismissively. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her sister with her ex-boyfriend.

Bella glowered a little at Prue. "We don't know that," she reminded Prue.

Prue threw her a glare, silently telling Bella to be quiet and allow her this reunion. When Bella huffed, crossed her arms underneath her breasts and looked away - her version of 'fine, I'll behave' even if the defiant scowl on her face hadn't disappeared - Prue turned back to Andy with a smile. "So, uh, what are you doing here?" she asked him.

Andy, who had been watching the sisters interact in amusement, was startled back to reality. The grin on his face slipped into a somber frown as he answered, "Uh…Murder investigation." The reminder of the loss of human life that had led him to the hospital in the first place made him feel guilty for being so lighthearted, but Prue's abrupt reappearance in his life had placed him on a momentary high, enough that he'd forgotten why he was there at the hospital at nearly seven at night.

They were interrupted by the admitting nurse who returned to the desk with news for all three of them. Addressing Prue and Bella, she said, "Your sister's still in x-ray, so it'll be another fifteen minutes." Turning her head, she spoke to Andy next, "Dr. Gordon's office is to the left and down the hall. He's with a patient right now, but you're free to wait outside his office."

"Thank you," Andy nodded.

Prue and Bella echoed his sentiment.

The two past lovers turned to look at each other once more, shy smiles back as they shared fond looks. "Well…It was good seeing you, Prue," Andy said finally, not knowing what else to say. He wanted to say something more, not having realized just how much he missed her until he'd seen her again.

Prue nodded, trying not to let her disappointment show in her expression or her voice as she smiled and took his hand for a shake. "Yeah, you too, Andy," she smiled coyly. "Take care."

Bella stared at the two of them in disbelief. "That's it!" she blurted out without a second thought.

It was common knowledge in their family that Bella was born without a mental filter. Pretty much most things she said were her true opinions and, even if they were harsh, she had no trouble letting it out. Piper, the kind-hearted, conflict-avoiding sister, often had to remind Bella to be tactful. '_Tact_,' Bella had scoffed. '_Is just another form of lying. And I don't lie_.'

"Are you kidding me? You haven't seen each other in nearly a decade and two minutes worth of meaningless chit-chat is all you've got?" She rolled her eyes, "That's the lamest reunion ever."

"Bella," Prue scolded her, shooting a mortified look Andy's way.

Andy chuckled, shaking his head. He remembered Bella being the bluntest person he had ever met, even at the young age of seven. _Glad to see that hasn't changed_, he thought to himself. "You know, she's right," he interrupted Prue's reprimand. "Phoebe's busy. Dr. Gordon's busy…Can I buy you a bad cup of coffee while we wait?"

Prue smiled, ducking her head slightly as a faint blush formed on her cheeks. "Sure," she nodded. She was just about to follow Andy towards the vending machines when she remembered Bella. Her eyes drifted to her youngest sister who was leaning against the receptionist's desk, arms folded across her chest and a smug smile on her lips. "Oh, wait…"

Bella rolled her eyes, understanding Prue's hesitance even if she hated the reason why. "Prue, I'm not a child anymore," she scolded gently. "I can handle staying right here for fifteen minutes while you two catch up and lock lips."

Prue's blush getting more prominent - an inherent trait in the family that affected Piper the most amongst the four sisters - she shared an embarrassed glance with Andy before turning her head to glower at Bella. "We're not…" she shook her head, trailing off. "Never mind. Are you going to wander off?"

Bella huffed. "It's a hospital," she pointed out. "Where would I go?"

When Prue still hesitated, Bella almost did a face-palm. "Would it make you feel better if I made up some lame excuse to leave the two of you alone?" Not giving her sister a chance to reply, Bella perked up and said in an overly cheery, too-animated voice, "Hey! There's my friend Marnie! I think I'm gonna go see why she's at the hospital, make sure everything's okay. If I'm not back in fifteen, just call me when Phoebe gets out and I'll meet you here."

Flashing another smile Andy's way, Bella spun on her heel and walked in the opposite direction of the two of them. "Freak," she muttered under her breath, stifling a smile. She knew Prue was protective but she also knew that he older sister's reluctance to leave her alone had nothing to do with Bella at all, and everything to do with her anxiety over bumping into Andy again after all these years.

Bella sighed as she stepped into another hallway. _Now what am I supposed to do?_ She thought to herself, already bored. Spying the elevator, she perked up slightly and headed straight for it. _Maybe I'll head to the gift shop and get a magazine…_

Prue and Andy watched Bella leave, shy smiles on their faces as they snuck peeks at one another. "I'm sorry about her," Prue attempted to apologize once Bella was out of sight. "She's very…"

Andy nodded, not needing her to explain. "Yeah, I remember," he chuckled. He had, after all, grown up with the Halliwell sisters. Even if Bella had come in much later, he'd still known her since she was born all the way until she was seven years old. While her attitude had been much less, uh, _colorful_ then, her personality had already been prominent.

The two of them shared a laugh which faded and turned into an awkward silence. Wanting to break it, Prue said unnecessarily, "So you're an inspector now?" This didn't surprise her whatsoever. His father had been a cop, too, and Andy had always expressed interest in following in his old man's footsteps when he was older.

Andy nodded. "What can I say? In any other city, I'd be called a detective."

"Hmm," Prue hummed. "'Inspector's' classier."

He grinned. "I'm liking it better already." They stopped in front of the nearby vending machines. Taking out some change from his pocket, Andy slipped the necessary amount into the slot.

"Your dad must be so proud," Prue said.

"Third generation," Andy cocked his head to the side. "You bet he's happy…" He raised his eyebrows at her. "How about you? You taking the world by storm?"

Prue's smile slipped slightly. "Well, I'm living back at Grams' house and, as of an hour ago, I'm looking for work," she said dourly. The feeling of euphoria she'd felt earlier for quitting her job and finally breaking free of Roger had dissipated, just as she knew it would eventually, and in the face of Andy's success in life, she felt embarrassed and out of place. She had always been an overachiever, the one sister who had a purpose she gunned towards intensely. Having to admit her recent failure in life to someone – especially someone like Andy who knew her only as the girl who strived to be the best – was humiliating.

"Oh," Andy said, not knowing what to say to that. He looked down at his shoes, knowing that Prue would hate it if he showed her an ounce of pity.

Changing the topic – fast – Prue said, "I heard you moved to Portland."

Andy smiled, pleased that she was interested enough to catch wind of snippets about his life, even after their break up. "I'm back," he shrugged. "You, uh…Still seeing Roger?" he asked, and the half-smile he wore and the gleam in his eyes told her that he was asking a silent question along with the one he voiced - he wanted to know if she was available at the moment.

Prue reeled back, blinking at him in shock. "How did you know about him?" she asked, fighting hard to keep the suspicion out of her voice. _Oh, great, now Phoebe's crazed rants about how we're witches and whatever is getting to _me_, too_, Prue thought, annoyed at herself.

"I know people."

Prue caught on to what he meant even as he tried to be evasive. She felt a slow smile start to spread on her lips. "You checked up on me?" she asked, feeling absolutely flattered.

Andy blushed slightly. Bending so he wouldn't have to meet her knowing eyes, he picked up the coffee from the vending slot. "I wouldn't call it that," he said with a shy grin and a nervous chuckle.

"What would you call it?" Prue persisted, not willing to let him off the hook so easily.

Andy returned her smile. "Uh…Inquiring minds want to know?" he tried.

Prue merely gave him a perceptive look. "You checked up on me," she stated, knowing this as a fact now.

Andy sighed and shrugged once more. "What can I say? I'm a detective," he joked. Prue smiled, understanding that he had been curious to hear about her even when they were apart, and nodded, accepting his answer.

She was about to say something else but she could hear a voice on the intercom, "Miss Halliwell, please meet your sisters at the nursing station."

She shot Andy an apologetic look. "I guess I have to go," she murmured.

Andy nodded, looking as disappointed as she felt. "Yeah, me too," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Dr. Gordon should be done soon…"

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before stumbling through an even more awkward half-handshake, half-hug. Bidding him goodbye, Prue strode off towards the nursing station with a fiery red face, bad cup of coffee in hand.

By the time she reached the station, Phoebe and Bella were both waiting for her, standing a few feet away from the counter and talking in hushed whispers to one another. Bella noticed her first and nudged Phoebe, both of them falling silent when they saw her approaching. Prue narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the two of them.

"There you are," Bella smiled at her, though Prue could clearly see that it wasn't a genuine smile. "I told you she'd be late with Andy," she directed this at Phoebe.

Ignoring Bella's words, Prue eyed both her sisters contemplatively. "What are you two up to?" she asked suspiciously.

"We're not up to anything," Bella said in an innocent tone Prue didn't buy.

Phoebe sighed, shooting Bella a look before turning back to look at Prue. "I think we need to talk," she said, her voice serious.

Prue would've argued but Phoebe looked somber and shaken, and Bella seemed to be in the same mood as she was. Nodding, Prue agreed. _I just know I'm going to regret this_, Prue thought grimly as the three of them walked towards the nearest elevator.

She was proven correct barely half an hour later as she sat at the bar of the restaurant just a block away from the hospital. Bella sat on the stool in between Prue and Phoebe, an unspoken agreement for her to act as the buffer between them – something that she wasn't a fan of considering her own hot-headed temperament. The job of 'middle sister' had always been reserved for Piper who was very good at keeping conflicts to a minimum.

Phoebe had been silent on the way to the restaurant but the moment they had sat down at the bar, drinks and bowl of peanuts in front of them, Phoebe had started talking. She started by, once again, telling Prue and Bella about what she had learned of their ancestors from the Book of Shadows. She told them of Melinda Warren's prophecy, of the Charmed Ones' destiny, of the powers they were going to receive.

Then she told them of the premonition she had received earlier that had led her to her heroic act and her trip to the hospital.

While Bella stared at her contemplatively, looking as though she might just believe everything Phoebe was saying, Prue was glaring at her incredulously. "The Chosen Ones? The Charmed Ones?" she shook her head. "Phoebe, this is insane."

Phoebe leaned closer slightly. "Are you telling me that nothing strange happened to you today? You didn't freeze time or move anything without touching it or move with unexplained, supernatural grace?" she asked, desperate to convince her sister.

"Roger took an exhibit away from me," Prue said dryly, wondering if that was strange enough for Phoebe. "Alright, look, Phoebe…I know that you think that you can see the future, which is pretty ironic-"

"Since you don't think I have one?" Phoebe interrupted, anger seeping into her voice. "That my vision of life is cloudy compared to your perfect hell?"

Prue had the decency to look slightly chastised.

Phoebe relented slightly, though the hurt in her voice was still audible. "Even if you don't want to believe me, just _once_, can't you trust me?"

Before Prue could say anything, Bella interrupted. "I actually think Phoebe's on to something," she said, causing Prue to shift disbelieving eyes to her instead. Bella shrugged. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, Prue-"

"Because it's not possible," Prue interjected.

Bella glared at her. "Hello, I was talking here," she huffed. When Prue rolled her eyes but remained silent, Bella continued, "It's hard to imagine, but I…I did some pretty unbelievable things today. I just…I can't think of any other reason why it happened at all, unless magic was involved."

Prue was already shaking her head but Phoebe leaned her arms on the bar top, a curious expression on her face. "What things?" she asked eagerly. "What did you do?"

Bella regaled the tales of her gym class moments and the miracle that had happened at the dojo, her voice growing more and more animated as she spoke. Phoebe had an awed expression on her face as she listened but Prue still remained incredulous.

"Bella, you've always been athletic," she pointed out, annoyed, when Bella had finished.

Bella gave her a look. "Yeah, but this was different," she insisted. "I'm athletic, not Clark Kent. Prue, I ran half a mile in under a minute and a half. That wasn't normal, even for me. Everyone in my class knew it. They looked at me strange after that. Even Coach noticed – she asked if I wanted to join track."

Shaking her head, Bella insisted, "Something's different, Prue. You can try to deny it all you want but that Book of Shadows was in our house, locked up in the attic, even before Phoebe came back and found it. All the other stuff in the attic are things from our house. And we've owned the house for generations. Who else could've put it there but Grams or Mom or someone from our family?"

Phoebe was nodding at Bella's words, both of them looking at Prue anxiously as though expecting her to suddenly jump on the crazy wagon.

Shaking her head, Prue stared at them both sternly, irritated by their persistence on such a ridiculous subject. "Phoebe, Bella, I do not have special powers," she stated firmly, much to their disappointment. "Now where is the cream?"

She was shocked, her eyes growing round as she stared at the container of cream sliding slowly towards her from across the bar.

"Really?" Phoebe quipped. "That looks pretty special to me."

Bella, whose eyes were riveted to the container as well, breathed out, "Whoa…" in an awed tone of voice.

The three of them watched, wide-eyed, as the cream was magically drained from the container and appeared in the coffee in Prue's cup. The white mixed in with the dark liquid until it turned a lighter shade of brown. The cup filling to the brim, the liquid in it started to boil over.

Slack-jawed, Prue shook her head as though to clear it. It didn't work, and her headache only grew more intense. "Oh, my God…" Swallowing hard, she asked, "So, um…I can move things with my mind?"

Phoebe smiled at her gently. "With how much you hold inside, you should be a lethal weapon by now," she informed an anxious Prue.

Prue stared at her untouched coffee as though she was suddenly afraid of it. "I don't believe it," she said in a low voice.

Bella snorted. "You just used telekinesis to mix cream in your coffee and heat it up, and you still can't believe it?" she shook her head. "How much proof do you _need_?"

Prue glared at Bella, who merely shrugged.

Phoebe ignored them both, thinking out loud, "I had a premonition of the future, you just used telekinesis and I'm pretty sure what Bella have is Agility…So this must mean that Piper can freeze time…"

Reaching over, Prue grabbed Phoebe's shot of tequila and downed it in one gulp. Phoebe must've noticed the distress on her face because she asked, "Are you okay?"

Prue glared at her. "No, I'm not okay!" she snapped. "You've turned me into a witch!"

Phoebe shook her head. "You were born one," she corrected. "We all were. And I think we better start learning to deal with it."

Her grim tone sent shivers down Prue's spine and she shot out of her seat. "I think it's time we go to the pharmacy," she said in an unsteady voice. "My head's killing me."

"It's not the only thing that's going to try and kill you," Phoebe said as the three of them made their way towards the exit.

Bella shot her a look. "What?" she raised an eyebrow. "Explain, please."

Bella and Phoebe linked arms as the three of them stepped out onto the sidewalk, walking towards the pharmacy nearby. "When I was looking through the Book of Shadows," Phoebe began. "I saw these wood carvings. They looked like something out of a Bosch painting. All these terrifying images of four women battling different incarnations of evil…"

Prue scoffed. "Evil fighting evil – that's a twist," she muttered.

Phoebe shook her head. "Actually, a witch can be either good or evil," she corrected Prue. "A good witch follows the Wiccan Rede. 'An ye harm none, do what ye will'. A bad witch, or a warlock, has but one goal: to kill witches and obtain their powers. Unfortunately, they look like regular people. It could be anyone, anywhere."

"And this has what to do with us?" Prue asked, impatient but dreading the answer at the same time.

"Well, in the first wood carving," Phoebe started tentatively. "They were in slumber but in the second one, they were battling some kind of warlock. I think as long as we were in the dark about our powers, we were safe."

Bella nodded, understanding Phoebe's point. "But not anymore," she concluded grimly. Phoebe nodded in agreement.

Silence befell the three sisters as they continued to make their way towards the pharmacy, their thoughts swirling with the dangerous consequences their newfound powers would bring to their lives.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Wow, that was a really good response to chapter 4. 12 reviews! That's so great. Thank you so much, everyone.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's shorter than chapter 4 but please tell me if you enjoyed it nonetheless.

P.S. I'm glad some of you are liking this new Bella. In this chapter, we see Bella's 'violent tendencies'. It's related to her demigod side - more specifically, who her father was a child of.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Piper had been unusually quiet throughout dinner with Jeremy, and as they sat in the cab on the way to his apartment, she remained equally quiet – until he started to badger her about what was wrong. She considered just lying to him about what was bothering her but she knew he wouldn't give up easily. Besides, even if she couldn't bring herself to admit the whole story, she still needed someone to talk to and Jeremy had always been a good listener.<p>

""Has anything weird…Or unexplainable ever happen to you?" she asked him hesitantly.

Jeremy shrugged. "Sure," he said easily. "It's called luck or fate. Some call it miracles." Looking at her uneasy expression, he seemed to get that she must've asked for a reason that was bigger than just curiosity. "Why? What happened?"

Although his comforting voice made her feel as though she could tell him anything, Piper was too self-conscious about what had happened to really confide in him. She wasn't even sure what had happened at Quake had really occurred. It was too far-fetched to be believable.

Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile before looking down at her lap. "Forget it," she mumbled. "Even if I could tell you, you'd swear I was crazy."

Sensing that he would ask more, she opened the container of leftovers from the Chinese restaurant they'd gone to earlier and grabbed a fortune cookie. Handing it to him, she urged, "Open your fortune cookie."

"Ok," he agreed. Cracking the cookie open, he grabbed the tiny slip of paper inside and read it. "'Soon you will be on top'," he grinned wolfishly.

Piper blushed. "It doesn't say that!" she protested, smiling shyly.

"Yes, it does," Jeremy insisted, laughing.

She made a grab for the fortune. "Let me see," she said stubbornly.

"Is that a bad thing?" Jeremy asked, still trying to convince her he wasn't lying.

"'Of the world'," Piper read the second half of the fortune, sounding smug. "'Soon you will be on top of the world'."

"Oh," Jeremy merely smiled and turned to the driver of the cab. "Can you make a left on 7th, please?" he said, and the driver nodded.

"7th?" Piper asked, confused. "I thought we were going to your place?"

"We are," Jeremy assured her. "But you reminded me of something. I want to show you the old bowling building. The view of the Bay Bridge…It's amazing."

Her uneasiness disappeared under the weight of Jeremy's charming, reassuring smile.

* * *

><p>"I'll be right back with your prescription," the pharmacist told Phoebe.<p>

Phoebe nodded. "Take your time," she assured, knowing that Prue would be going on a rampage storming the aisles until she could find something to alleviate her migraine.

As if on cue, Prue spoke up. "Excuse me?" she said, stopping the pharmacist in his tracks. "Where do you keep the aspirin?"

"Uh, aisle three," he answered immediately.

Prue nodded, "Thank you."

Phoebe and Bella followed after Prue as she stormed away from the counter and headed straight for aisle three. "Chamomile tea works great for headaches," Bella piped up, having learned that from Piper.

"Not for this one, it won't," Prue said determinedly, not sparing a single glance at her sisters as she searched the aisle intently for the aspirin.

Phoebe shook her head. _She's freaking out over nothing_, Phoebe thought to herself. _Why can't she see that this is a good thing? Just because this doesn't fit in with her anal life plans doesn't mean it's not wonderful_.

"I'm not afraid of our powers," Phoebe informed Prue confidently, ignoring the warning look Bella sent her. "I mean, everyone inherits something from their family, right?"

"Yeah," Prue said dryly. "Money, antiques, a strong disposition…That's what normal people inherit."

Phoebe snorted a little. "Who wants to be normal when we can be special?" she asked lightheartedly.

"_I_ want to be normal," Prue said in a frustrated tone of voice. "I want my life to be…You know, isn't this aisle three?"

"Well, we can't change what happened," Phoebe pointed out. "We can't undo our destiny."

Prue threw her a glare over her shoulder. "Have you even given any thought to what this would do to Bella? She's still a kid-"

"Uh, hello, teenager here," Bella interrupted. "Not a kid."

Prue and Phoebe both ignored that. "I mean, think of the ways this could disrupt her life," Prue continued with her rant, moving her head left and right as she searched for a sign of the aspirin bottles. "Don't you think she should have a say in all this before you started chanting incantations?"

Bella snorted. "Are you kidding?" she asked incredulously. "I look like Aphrodite reincarnated and I kick ass a hundred times better than before…I'm loving every minute of this!"

Her excited tone only made Prue's headache throb harder. _Great_, she thought sullenly. _Bella's gone over to the dark side, too_. "Do you see any aspirin?" she asked out loud, pointedly ignoring Bella's words.

"I see chamomile tea," Phoebe sang out.

This apparently proved to be the last straw for Prue. She spun around, her blue eyes on fire as she glared at Phoebe. "_Look_," she said testily. "I just found out that I am a witch, that my sisters are witches and that we have powers that will unleash all forms of evil. Evil that is, apparently, going to come looking for us. So, if you'll excuse me, Phoebe, but I'm not exactly in a homeopathic mood right now."

Phoebe stared at Prue unflinchingly. She had been on the wrong end of Prue's glares her whole life and they hardly affect her anymore these days. "Then move your headache out of your mind," she challenged Prue.

Prue's expression grew even more furious than before, even if she remained silent at Phoebe's words. She was startled out of her staring contest with Phoebe when a bottle of aspirin she hadn't noticed before flew off a top shelf. As though moving on its own accord, Prue's hand reached out and the bottle flew straight into her grasp.

Both Bella and Phoebe broke into wide grins. "Prue, that is so cool," Bella gushed, eyes sparkling excitedly. "Do it again!"

"You move things when you're upset," Phoebe said delightedly, understanding of how Prue's power was triggered flooding her mind.

"This is ridiculous!" Prue snapped. "I thought that you landed on your arm, not your head."

"You don't believe me," Phoebe stated.

Prue scowled at her. "Of _course_ I don't believe you!"

Bella quirked an eyebrow at her. "So all three of us suffered the same hallucination twenty seconds ago?" she asked sarcastically.

Prue glowered when Bella and Phoebe shared knowing smirks. Crossing her arms, Phoebe sing-sang, "_Roger_…"

Three more bottles of aspiring flew off the shelf, landing on the floor at Prue's feet.

"Now let's talk about dad and see what happens," Phoebe said knowingly.

"He's dead, Phoebe."

Phoebe gave her a look. "No," she said slowly. "He's moved from New York but he's very much alive."

Prue fought the strong urge to punch something. "He isn't to me," she said in a barely controlled voice. "He died the day he left my mother."

Phoebe scoffed, shaking her head. "What are you _talking_ about? He's always been a major button-pusher for you. You're mad he's alive, you're mad I tried to find him and you're mad I came back…"

Bella, seeing the fury in Prue's icy blue eyes, muttered quietly, "Phoebe…Maybe that's enough." She knew well enough how Victor Bennett was a sore topic for Prue. One mention of him and her big sister was in a foul mood for hours – days, even. The last thing she wanted was for Prue and Phoebe to get in a screaming match in the middle of a pharmacy. Talk about embarrassing.

Phoebe ignored her and took to sing out a long string of, "Dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad…"

The three of them were startled when more than half the supplies on the shelves flew off and toppled to the floor loudly. Slack-jawed, the three of them stared at the fallen items then back to one another.

When Bella began to laugh, Prue and Phoebe started to smile as well, the shock slowly dissipating.

"Feel better?" Phoebe asked, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Lots," Prue replied, surprised that the headache she'd been feeling all evening was completely gone.

Phoebe was silent for a brief moment before saying, "The Book of Shadows said that our powers would grow."

Prue looked at the mess on the floor then back up at Phoebe. "Grow to _what_?" she asked, indicating that she felt her powers were already strong enough by now.

For the first time in almost over a year, Prue and Phoebe looked each other in the eyes, smiled and laughed easily, sharing a true moment of happy sisterhood.

Bella, glad now that it seemed their silly rivalry was over, linked arms with both Phoebe and Prue as they walked down the aisle to get back to the counter. "Aren't you glad that stick is now out of your ass?" she asked Prue jokingly.

Prue threw her a mock glare but laughed along with the other two, shaking her head. _Who knew this was how my life would turn out to be?_ Prue couldn't help but sigh in her mind. It was something she had been asking herself constantly since she had quit her job earlier in the day. The only difference was that now she wasn't sure if this was a bad thing or the start of a good thing.

* * *

><p>The cabbie had dropped them off in front of an old warehouse-looking building. Piper had been apprehensive the moment they had pulled up in front of the building and the feeling hadn't disappeared since the cabbie had driven off, leaving her alone with Jeremy.<p>

_This is ridiculous_, she tried to tell herself. _Why would I be nervous with Jeremy? He's perfect_.

Her instincts, however, had a different opinion.

Jeremy pushed open the door to the building. "Well, here we are," he said charmingly, turning to give Piper a smile, gesturing for her to head in.

Piper peered into the darkened interior and shook her head. "I don't care how amazing the view is," she said. "I'm not going in there."

Jeremy wasn't taking no for an answer, however. Taking hold of her hand, he pulled her forward gently. "Come on," he coaxed. "Come on. I have a surprise inside."

Her senses were on overdrive and her heart was beating a mile a minute, even as she repeated to herself over and over again that nothing bad would happen to them inside the godforsaken building.

She stepped reluctantly into the freight elevator, Jeremy right behind her. _Oh, God, please don't let the elevator snap and fall_, she pleaded silently to a higher power.

Closing the wooden doors, Jeremy reached out and pushed the button that would take them to the roof. "You are going to love this," he told her eagerly. "I bet you'll tell Bella, Phoebe and Prue the moment you see them."

Confusion and warning warred in her heart and she turned to look at Jeremy. "I never mentioned Phoebe came home," she said warily.

Jeremy grinned slightly and Piper thought that the smile he wore seemed evil somehow. "Oops," he sang out, not sounding the least bit repentant.

Before she could say anything else, he had whipped out an athame from behind him and was pointing it at her.

Piper took an involuntary step back. "What is that?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"It's your surprise," Jeremy told her, his voice cold suddenly, a stark contrast to his usual friendly manner.

Shaking her head and almost convinced that he was merely playing some sick joke on her, Piper told him with a nervous smile, "Jeremy, stop it. You're scaring me." When he continued to look at her with blank eyes, the knife still in his hand, she snapped, "Damn it, I'm serious!"

"So am I!" he said, raising his voice slightly. "See, I've waited six months for this. Ever since Grams went to the hospital. You see, I've known for quite some time that the moment the old witch croaked that all your powers would be released, powers that would reveal themselves as soon as the four of you got together again. All that was needed was for Phoebe to return…"

Piper stared at him in horror. "It's you, isn't it?" she asked, her voice wavering in horror and disgust. "You killed all those women."

"Not women," Jeremy corrected her with a twisted grin. "Witches."

"Why?" Piper asked, near tears.

Holding out his free hand, his palm facing her, he showed her what he could do. As though his fingers were candles, flames appeared above his fingertips. "It was the only way to get their power," he told her evilly. The flames disappearing on his silent command, he placed his hand back down. "And now," his voice had changed, adopting a deeper, more demonic quality. "I want yours."

Before her very eyes, his face started to morph, becoming ugly and distorted. The change was frightening and Piper felt a scream tearing from her throat at the sight. He ignored her scream, knowing that no one would be able to hear her in the dilapidated building. They were so far away from civilization. Besides, even on the off chance that someone happened to pass by and heard her, he had enough power to kill them in an instant. No one would be able to help her.

He raised the athame, ready to plunge it into her human body and absorb the power from her veins, but Piper panicked. She squeezed her eyes shut and with an inadvertent wave of her hands as she threw them up in the air to shield herself from his blow, Jeremy froze in place. Not feeling any pain, Piper opened her eyes. She gasped as she noticed that, just like Chef Moore earlier, he wasn't moving at all.

Stumbling back from him, Piper stared at his frozen form, unable to believe the stroke of luck that had come at the perfect time. Looking around the elevator, she started to ramble quietly to herself. "Ok, think, stay calm," she muttered to herself. "Think, think, think…You gotta get out of here."

Seeing the slight gap in the wooden doors, Piper nodded to herself. "Okay," she said. It wasn't the best idea ever but it was the only way she had to get out of the elevator and escape from Jeremy. "Okay…"

She reached out and held onto the gap in the elevator, hoisting herself up off the floor and slowly climbing out. She was halfway out, her legs still dangling inside the elevator, when Jeremy unfroze. She didn't realize it until he grabbed at her ankle.

Her heart stopping for a moment, Piper screamed loudly. She struggled against his strong grip, her hand searching for something she could use to help her. She grabbed onto the pieces of wood lying around on the floor in front of her, but none of them were big enough or steady enough for her to hold onto and she could feel herself being pulled back into the elevator by Jeremy.

Finally, her fingers closed around a rectangular piece of wood heavy enough to feel as though it could do some damage. Grabbing the two-by-four, she swung around, her body still desperately pressed to the dirty floor and fighting his grip. She smacked the two-by-four into Jeremy's face. He grunted out in pain, stumbling back from her and falling back into the wall of the elevator behind him.

_Oh, thank God_, Piper breathed in her mind.

Afraid that Jeremy might regain consciousness soon, she wriggled the rest of the way out of the elevator and scrambled to her feet. She ran out of the building in blind panic, her mind going a mile a minute as she thought about what she could do to escape Jeremy.

_If he wants my power_, Piper thought to herself. _He's gonna want my sisters' powers, too. He's not going to stop with just me_.

She thought about not going back home, afraid of leading Jeremy back to the manor and leading him straight to her sisters. _But then again_, Piper reasoned. _He already knows where I live. He might go there anyway. I have to warn the others. Besides…Phoebe might know how to stop him_.

She ran half a mile before she finally managed to flag down a cab. "1329, Prescott Street," she told the cabbie breathlessly. If the cab driver was suspicious of her haggard appearance and panic-stricken expression, he didn't say a word.

They were halfway towards home before Piper began to feel the hurt in her heart at finding out Jeremy's true intentions towards her.

* * *

><p>Prue, Phoebe and Bella had come home with one intention in mind: they were going to sit down and have a proper talk about their newfound powers. Now that Prue was finally convinced, and three out of four sisters had discovered their powers (to their knowledge), they had to face the reality of their changed lives.<p>

They had come home to an eerily silent house.

"Piper's not home?" Bella asked, eyebrows furrowing.

Prue shrugged. "I'll go check outside for her car," she said.

Bella nodded. "I'll go check upstairs," she offered and took off. She moved almost at the speed of light, faster than she had been before in school, and had moved from the foyer to the foot of the stairs in the space of ten seconds. "Whoo," she shook her head, then turned to grin mischievously at her sisters. "I could get used to that." She ran up the stairs at the same speed.

Prue and Phoebe shared a look. "Well," Prue said dryly. "That _was_ fast."

"Looks like we have Wonder Woman 2.0 on our hands," Phoebe quipped.

The two shared a laugh before Prue spun on her heels and headed out the door again to check for Piper's car.

Phoebe headed towards the main hall. Seeing the red light blinking on the answering machine, Phoebe pressed the button to hear the recorded message.

"Prue," Roger's voice filled the air. "It's Roger. I've decided to let you come back to work. Seriously, let's talk."

"Ugh," Phoebe heard, and jumped, startled. One hand to her chest, she turned to look at Bella, standing right next to her, hands on her hips and a disgusted scowl on her face as she stared at the answering machine. "What an ass. Is that supposed to be his idea of an apology?"

Phoebe reached out to smack Bella on the arm lightly. "Bella!" she scolded.

Bella blinked at her, confused. "What?" she asked, not getting why Phoebe was so pale-white as she stared at her.

"Don't scare me like that," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You gave me a heart attack. If you have to move that quickly, at least make a noise."

Bella rolled her eyes.

Prue walked in, carrying a white and brown cat in her arms. Bella's expression immediately softened and she let out a small 'aw…' as she reached out for the cat. Prue gladly deposited the animal into Bella's waiting arms. "Well, Piper's definitely not home unless she's turned into a cat," she quipped.

Bella shrugged, "Hey, we've got magic now. Anything's possible."

Prue smiled fondly at Bella's mischievous impish grin.

"How did the cat get in?" Phoebe asked curiously.

Prue shrugged. "I don't know. Someone must've left a window open," she replied.

Bella interrupted. "The more important question is – can we keep the cat?" she asked, looking at Prue pleadingly.

Prue gave her a raised eyebrow. "No, the more important question is – did Piper leave a message?" she corrected Bella, turning to Phoebe.

Phoebe shook her head. "She's probably out with Jeremy," she answered. "Roger called," she told Prue, distaste evident in her voice.

Prue nodded. "Yeah, I heard."

Prue, Phoebe and Bella shared a disgusted look at the mention of Prue's ex.

Bella must've seen some lingering sadness in Prue's eyes because she bent and placed the cat on the floor then turned to her oldest sister. "Prue, forget Roger," she advised sagely. "He was _way_ too slimy and nerdy-looking. Any future nieces or nephews you might have planned on giving me would've turned out butt ugly with his genes mixed in. God only knows how he scored _you_…" Her eyes lighting up with an idea, she said, "Ooh…Maybe he put a spell on you."

Prue and Phoebe shared an amused look and snickered at Bella's words. Feeling a little lighter than before, Prue wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders. "Thanks, kid," she said fondly.

Even if she hated being called 'kid', Bella smiled back in reply anyway.

Their sisterly moment was interrupted by Piper's frantic voice coming from the front door. "Prue! Phoebe! Bella!"

The turned to see Piper rushing into the house in a panic, almost forgetting to close the door before she doubled back and slammed the door shut.

"In here," Phoebe called out, waving Piper over. "Piper?"

Having locked the front door, Piper rushed towards her sisters.

"Oh, my God," Prue said, staring at Piper's disheveled state. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Bella didn't know how, or why, but something inside of her just knew that something bad – something evil, even – had happened and that she should gear up for battle. _Maybe it's all that extensive training I've been having all my life_, Bella thought to herself. _Instincts are bound to kick in at some point_.

"Quick! Lock the doors, check the windows. We don't have a lot of time," Piper said frantically. Turning to look at Phoebe, she asked, "Phoebe, in the Book of Shadows, did it say how to get rid of a…" she didn't know the right word for Jeremy and even if she did, she doubted she could actually voice it.

Phoebe understood what she meant anyway and finished for her, "Warlock?"

Piper's fearful expression confirmed it all.

Prue stared at Piper, her own stomach dropping. "Oh, my God," she muttered.

Bella and Phoebe shared a look, wearing similar expressions of fear and determination.

"I'm going to go check the Book of Shadows," Phoebe promised Piper. "Don't worry, we'll find something." She flashed Piper a reassuring smile before turning to head for the stairs. Under her breath, she whispered, "We have to."

Bella had heard Phoebe's whispered words. She didn't have the time to wonder about 'how' because her survival instincts were kicking into high gear and she was already making battle plans. _If Phoebe can't find anything to help us get rid of Jeremy, we're gonna have to fight_, she thought to herself. Internally, some small part of her was rejoicing at the idea of battle, her blood already boiling in anticipation.

Shaking herself out of it, Bella said out loud, "I'm gonna go look through the chest, see if Grams has any weapons that could help us."

"Bella, why would Grams have…?" Prue's question trailed off unfinished as Bella spun on her heel and practically flashed up the stairs. "Ugh. Never mind."

Prue turned back to Piper only to find her sister had hurriedly moved to the living room, shutting all the windows as quickly as she could, drawing the curtains close as she did so. Prue rushed towards the back of the house, helping Piper locking the back door and the windows she passed by. She rushed back towards the living room, her mind running a mile a minute, her heart racing.

She sighed nervously, running a hand down her face as she strode quickly towards the main hall. _I was naïve to think we could do this_, she thought grimly. _Look at the danger we're in. This cannot be a regular thing. It just can't_. She began to run their options in her mind. The first thing that came to mind was calling the authorities.

When she ran into Piper in the living room, Prue voiced her idea, "I'm calling the cops."

Piper gave her an incredulous look. "And tell them what?" she scoffed. "That we're witches? That some freak with powers beyond comprehension is trying to kill me?"

Prue ignored her and stalked towards the phone near the stairs. Piper grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Even if the cops did come, they'd be no match for Jeremy," she said in a low voice. There was no way she was letting someone else's death rest on her conscience. "And we'd be next."

Prue's irritated retort died on her lips when Phoebe rushed down the stairs loudly, stopping at the top of the last landing. "I found the answer," Phoebe said hurriedly. "It's our only hope. Come on!"

The three of them rushed upstairs. "Where's Bella?" Prue asked Phoebe as they ran up to the attic.

"Turning the attic upside down looking for a weapon," Phoebe answered wryly. "I swear, she's got some newfound obsession with violence now."

"Newfound?" Piper asked. "She's been learning combat since she was a toddler."

"Yeah, but…"

Phoebe's words were cut off as they entered the attic. It was messier than usual, obviously Bella's handiwork. Prue's eyes immediately zeroed in on Bella kneeling by the trunk where Phoebe and Bella had found the Book of Shadows in the first place. Some of its contents were haphazardly thrown on the floor near Bella as she rummaged for something useful.

"Candles, herbs, incense…" Bella said, frustrated. "A ton of magical supplies and not _one_ weapon! How the hell did she ever fight warlocks?"

Piper frowned. "Did Grams ever fight warlocks?" she questioned, unable to believe her grandmother was capable of something like that, especially with her heart condition. After all, none of them remembered ever seeing anything supernatural bursting in through the doors. If Grams had fought warlocks, surely some of them would've sought her out with the intent to kill, like Jeremy was doing to them.

Prue shrugged, "Who knows?"

Phoebe led them towards the Book of Shadows, placed on the stand near the attic window. "Okay, so it says here that we need nine candles…" Phoebe said. "Bella, did you find any candles in there?"

Bella snorted. "Oh, candles there are plenty of," she assured her sister sarcastically, still frustrated with the lack of weaponry.

Prue rolled her eyes and went towards Bella and the trunk to retrieve the candles. It took them ten minutes to get everything ready. Sitting at the low table near the trunk, they set up the nine candles they'd found in the chest in a circle. Piper held the Book of Shadows in front of her, propped up against the table. On the table was the cauldron Bella had procured from the trunk.

"Okay," Prue said. "We've placed the nine candles anointed with oils and spices in a circle," she was check-listing, just to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

"Wait!" Piper interrupted in a panic. "I only count eight!"

Phoebe held up a tiny blue candle. "Oh, you forgot this one," she said sheepishly.

Piper stared at her in disbelief. "A birthday candle!"

Bella shrugged. "I guess Grams was low on Witch supplies, too," she scoffed, watching as Phoebe lit up the tiny candle.

Prue glared at her. "Alright, let it go, okay?" she said. "At least you've got the knife."

Bella glanced down at the shiny knife with the bejeweled handle in her lap fondly. "Yeah…" she murmured, eyeing it appreciatively.

Piper shuddered, the knife reminding her too much of the one Jeremy had almost used on her. "I think you should put that away," she told Bella. "If the spell works, you won't need it."

"And if the spell doesn't," Bella sniped, holding the knife protectively to her chest. "Then I _will_ need it."

Prue interrupted them before they could really go at it. "All right," she said loudly, gaining Piper and Bella's attention. "Next we need the poppet."

Piper held it up. "Got it," she murmured.

Phoebe placed the lit blue candle into the cauldron. "Alright," Prue turned to Piper. "You're set. Ready to cast the spell?"

Piper nodded. "Okay, first I'll make it stronger," she said, doing just as the Book had said to, taking a red rose that Bella had hurriedly cut from the garden using her hyper speed. She pressed the rose against the poppet and began to recite, "Your love with wither and depart from my life and from my heart. Let me be, Jeremy, and go away forever."

She pressed the thorn on the rose stem hard into the poppet, piercing it. Placing the poppet and the rose together into the cauldron, Piper exhaled. "Okay, the spell is complete," she said, a horrible mixture of relief and sadness coursing through her.

"Let's hope it works," Prue murmured.

"Let's hope Jeremy still needs an ass-kicking," Bella countered, gaining glares from all three of her sisters. Wide-eyed, she shrugged and defended herself, "What! I feel like I've got an excess storage of energy just waiting to implode. You don't feel it?"

Prue and Piper shook their heads. "Maybe it's specific to you," Phoebe suggested. "Your power's related to combat, after all."

Bella shrugged.

"Look," Prue interrupted.

All four of them looked at the cauldron, watching with wide eyes and slack jaws as white smoke began to billow out excessively from it, rising up into the air and engulfing the poppet and rose entirely. The rose flashed and disappeared while the poppet started to burn in a burst of white flames.

Piper gasped, watching as the tiny doll meant to represent her murdering, warlock ex-boyfriend burned to a crisp, wondering if the same thing was happening to the real thing at the same time. She swallowed bile at the thought, and chastised herself for feeling grief for the bastard.

The rose gone and the poppet turned into ashes, the four sisters rose from their circle and started to clean up. Bella held up the knife and gazed at it longingly. "I guess I won't be needing this after all," she said, unable to help sounding a little disappointed. Sighing, she looked to Prue, "If I promise to get straight A's the rest of the year, will you get me a punching bag for the house? If this is gonna be a regular thing, I'm gonna need a way to burn off the extra energy. The dojo's closed and I have a feeling you're not gonna let me go to Carter's apartment this time of night."

"Intuitive girl," Prue teased, ignoring Bella's request.

As Prue and Piper gathered up the candles, Phoebe reached for the cauldron. The moment she touched it, she gasped, her mind flooded with her second premonition.

Jeremy, thorn-covered but nonetheless alive, looked around his dark surroundings, a furious expression on his face. The athame was still in his hand.

Coming out of her premonition, Phoebe let out a terrified grunt. "Wait!" she called out to her sisters. Prue, Piper and Bella, already on their way out of the attic, halted in and spun around at the fear they could hear in her voice. "Bella, hang on to that knife. You might need it."

"What do you mean?" Prue asked warily.

"It didn't work!" Phoebe panicked.

Piper blinked at her. "What?"

"The spell," Phoebe clarified. "It didn't work."

Prue stared at her, not wanting to believe her words. "How do you know?" she asked.

"When I touched the pot, I had a flash," Phoebe explained. "I saw Jeremy."

"You touched the pot and you saw him?" she asked, partly incredulous.

"He's on his way here."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I'm so sorry this took me so long. I was kind of caught up writing and completely forgot that I hadn't posted the last chapter…

So here it is, the last chapter of episode 1. There's some Bella Agility ass-kicking in here so I hope you guys enjoy reading that as much as I LOVED writing it.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Phoebe's warning was enough to push away the rest of Prue's disbelief. If Jeremy truly was on his way to the manor, they were all in grave danger. She'd rather gloat about Phoebe being wrong later than discredit Phoebe on the spot and be killed when he arrived.<p>

The four of them ran out of the attic, hurriedly descending the stairs.

"Where are we even going?" Bella asked as she followed her sisters down to the first floor.

Piper answered in a frantic voice. "I don't know," she said. "Aunt Gail's, maybe? A hotel in Santa Cruz? Hell, we could hide out at Carter's house, Bella, and I wouldn't care."

"Oh, right," Bella said sarcastically. "'cuz that wouldn't be suspicious at all if all four of us were to show up at Carter's this time of the night, panicked and afraid."

"Well, we've got no other choice, Bella," Prue snapped. "We have to hide. We tried to kill him – it didn't work!"

Bella rolled her eyes as they reached the main hall. "We could always stay and fight," she suggested.

"What, and die?" Phoebe scoffed.

Prue shook her head. "No, we run," she decided firmly.

The four of them ran down the hall and towards the front door. Prue reached it first, purely because Bella refrained from using the energy she could feel building up deep in her belly, knowing that if she let the energy take over her, she'd be moving faster than her three sisters. She lagged behind, running at normal speed, because she still wasn't fond of the idea of running instead of fighting.

Opening the front door, she turned around and motioned for her sisters. "Come on!" she yelled, throwing an irate glare Bella's way because she knew Bella was deliberately being slow.

Prue hadn't noticed but Jeremy was climbing up the steps to the porch. Piper, Phoebe and Bella did. While Piper and Phoebe screamed in fright, Bella was slipping into combat mode, ready for a fight. Prue turned around, her eyes widening in shock as she saw Jeremy wielding an athame. Backing up slowly, she placed herself in front of her sisters, throwing her arms out to her sides to protect them.

"Hello, ladies," Jeremy said with a pained smile, breathless from his run to the manor and from the pain the thorns had caused him.

"Piper, Phoebe…" Prue said warningly. "Bella…"

Remembering the episode at the pharmacy and the anger that would trigger her power, Prue glared at Jeremy. Getting angry at the warlock wasn't a hard feat at all. Focusing all her energy on him, she felt the anger slowly building to a burn in her chest. Squinting her eyes and jerking her chin up, Prue could actually feel her power pulsing as she telekinetically pushed Jeremy back into the door frame.

"Get out of here – now!" Prue told her sisters.

While Piper and Phoebe ran towards the stairs, Bella stayed. "I'm not leaving," Bella said firmly, shoving Prue's arm away so she stood side by side with her sister.

"Bella…" Prue warned.

"No," Bella argued immediately. "I have a pretty damn kick ass power, too, Prue, and I'm gonna use it on this son of a bitch right here."

Both of them kept their eyes on a recovering Jeremy. "Cool parlor trick, bitch," Jeremy sneered at Prue, regaining his balance once more. "Yeah, you were always the tough one, weren't you, Prue? Huh?"

Slowly advancing towards them, he then directed at Bella, "And you…Well, you're just a grade A bitch."

Prue was about to use her power on him again but Jeremy must've somehow sensed it coming. Flinging his arm in the air, without even touching Prue, Jeremy had flung her across the hall and into the section under the stairs.

Bella's eyes followed Prue's crash for a fraction of a second before her head snapped towards Jeremy once more. "You know, you're kinda pissing me off," she told him, not a hint of her fear in her steady voice. In all honesty, the fear she felt was far too insignificant in the face of her anger, the pulsing fury making her feel energized to fight instead of run.

He sneered at her. "Well, let me put you out of your misery," he offered cynically.

She smirked at him. "No," she almost purred with the energy she felt coursing through her. "Let _me_."

Before he could blink, she had appeared right next to him. Grasping his arm, she twisted – hard. She wasn't sure but it felt like she was using far more strength than she had before yesterday. He yelled out in pain, feeling the skin and flesh twist painfully against bone. His fingers almost spasm and he involuntarily dropped the knife he held. She brought her knee up swiftly, kneeing him as hard as she could in his stomach. He bent over and she used that to her advantage, bringing her elbow down on his head. Still gripping his twisted arm, she felt incredible strength overtake her as she yanked at his entire body and swung him, making him crash into the wall section leading towards the living room.

He was knocked out for the moment but she didn't want to risk still being there, mostly defenseless, when he woke up. She looked around and saw that Prue was already staggering to her feet. She rushed forward and helped her. "Come on, we have to get up to the attic," Prue said, her wide eyes taking in the unconscious warlock before turning to face Bella.

Bella nodded, and the two of them rushed up the stairs, Bella much faster than Prue. She tried to lag behind but the adrenaline was pumping too much and she reached the attic before she could even blink. Piper and Phoebe were waiting anxiously by the attic door. When they saw her, they waved her in.

"Where's Prue?" Piper asked worriedly.

"Right behind me…" Bella turned to look at the empty hallway. She turned sheepish eyes to her sisters. "Oh. Sorry. I guess I was a little faster than I thought…"

Phoebe frowned at her. "Are you sure Jeremy didn't…?"

She shook her head. "I knocked him out cold," she assured them.

They heard thundering footsteps drawing nearer. Piper and Phoebe both froze but some deep seated instinct in Bella told her that whoever was approaching wasn't a threat to her or her sister's safety. "It's okay, guys," she assured them before they even saw who was coming. "It's just Prue."

When Prue hurried towards them, confirming Bella's words, both Piper and Phoebe shared an incredulous look. "Prue, come on!" Bella urged, ignoring the look her other two sisters were throwing her way.

The moment Prue was inside the attic, Piper and Phoebe slammed the door close, clicking the lock in place. "Phoebe, you're right," Prue said, a little breathless from her run. "Our powers…They're growing." She remembered the way she had been able to control and direct her telekinesis towards Jeremy and the strength witch which Bella had been able to physically fight him off with.

"But is it enough to stop him?" Phoebe asked.

Piper shrugged. "You're the psychic."

Prue shook her head. "I don't know and I don't want to risk it," she said authoritively. "Put as many things against the door as you can."

Bella rolled her eyes. "He's got magic, too, Prue," she pointed out. "Who knows if he can't come in here anyway?" Darting away from her sisters, she reached the low table they had been sitting around before to cast the spell. The knife she'd found in the trunk was still lying on it. "I'm not going to be a coward," she stated defiantly, snatching the knife off the table. "I'm gonna fight."

Piper shot her an exasperated look. "Were you always this egotistical or is this a new development?" she asked in a mock saccharine voice.

Bella glowered back in return.

Prue ignored them, using her telekinesis to slam the dresser nearby against the closed door.

"Can't keep me out, Prue," Jeremy's demonically altered voice broke through the door. "My powers are stronger than yours."

Phoebe grabbed a ski they hadn't used in nearly a decade, its twin lost somewhere, and slid it through the frame sides to keep it in place.

"Okay," Piper said, gearing herself up to help her sisters. "Let's go." She grabbed a wooden chair and placed it on top of the dresser.

The three of them backed up, away from the door with Prue flinging her arms on either side of her once more to shield Piper and Phoebe. Bella stood next to Prue, her eyes trained on the door, as though waiting for Jeremy to walk through solid wood.

They heard Jeremy's maniacal laugh as the chair slid across the dresser slowly. "You don't think a chair can stop me?" he called out, the chair flying off the dresser completely. "You don't think a dresser can stop me!" he sounded almost enraged that they thought so little of his abilities, the dresser moving quickly to the side of the door.

"Have you witches figured it out?" Jeremy called out. "Nothing! Nothing can keep me away!" the ski slid from between the side frames.

"What do we do?" Piper asked, panicking. "We're trapped."

Bella twirled the handle of the knife in her hands. "We fight," she replied determinedly.

"Yeah, okay, I'm talking about those of us who _aren't_ Bruce Lee's little sister," Piper quipped sharply.

Bella ignored that, her eyes narrowing as she took in the door. It was shaking slightly, the gaps in the sides glowing red, telling them that Jeremy was working some magic on the other end.

"Bella, get behind me," Prue ordered.

"No."

The door exploded, pieces of wood dissolving into thin air right before them. Piper and Phoebe screamed, startled by it, and Jeremy stepped into the attic.

Bella darted forward before any of her sisters had moved, leaping in the air and spinning a roundhouse kick to Jeremy's face. He stumbled back into the wall next to the door-less entryway. "Hope you were good in bed," Bella sneered at Jeremy. "There's nothing redeeming about your personality whatsoever."

Jeremy leapt up to his feet, athame pointed at her. She could see the fire he was conjuring and throwing her way and levitated into the air, almost cartwheeling in midair as she avoided the flames. She heard the explosion behind her, knowing the fire had hit one of the furniture stored away up in the attic, and felt the heat from the fire behind her. She landed back on her feet.

"Like the roses we sent you?" she continued to taunt you. "Let's see how you charm witches with that ugly ass face."

He let out a sound much like a roar and raised his athame to strike her with it. Prue reacted, squinting at him and focusing on the blade in his hand. The blade flew from his grip, hitting the wall on the other side of the open door. Bella moved swiftly, grabbing his raised arm and using it to flip him on his back.

Jeremy grunted as he fell. Not wanting to be bested by a witch, he reached over and tripped her by her feet. She landed opposite him, her feet near his head, and reached out to kick him in the nose with her shoes. She heard the satisfying crack, smiling even wider at Jeremy's pained cry. The knife she'd found in the trunk grasped tightly in her hand, she stabbed it straight into Jeremy's thigh.

"You bitch!" Jeremy screamed. Flinging out a hand, he placed it with his palm facing her. Bella, who had gotten back to her feet, felt herself being thrown backwards by an invisible force. She stumbled back, trying to fight against the strong, non-existent hands pushing her back, and fell into her sisters. Prue caught her, steadying her on her feet, but the eldest Halliwell never let her eyes stray from the warlock.

Jeremy gripped the handle of the knife Bella had stabbed him with, pulling it out of his flesh with another grunt of pain and dropping the bloody knife next to his body. Getting to his feet, he darted forward and snatched his athame back from the floor, wielding it in front of him as though it was a mighty sword. Prue considered flinging it away from him again but they needed to end this before one of her sisters got hurt.

Getting a burst of inspiration, Prue almost smirked triumphantly at Jeremy. The fear she felt was the only reason why she didn't. _Mom gave it to us for a reason_, Prue thought. _Even if we didn't understand it then. It has to be the answer_.

"Come on!" Prue said to her three sisters. "We'll face him together! You remember the spirit board?"

"The inscription on the back," Piper realized.

Prue nodded. "'The Power of Four will set us free'," she reminded all of them.

Jeremy flung his arm around, pointing the athame towards them. Shards of light shot from the tip of the blade towards the four witches. It hit the floor, hissing before bursting into a circle of flames surrounding them.

Piper, Phoebe and Bella looked around at the fire raging around them in trepidation. Prue still had her eyes locked on Jeremy. "Come on!" she said, reaching out to interlock her hands with Piper and Phoebe, who in turn locked their free hands with Bella's, the four of them forming a circle. "We've got to stay together."

All of them begun to chant, "'The Power of Four will set us free'!"

Around them, the circle of fire was put out. In its place was a whirl of strong wind, swirling around them and whipping through their hair. They ignored it, continuing the chant. Outside of the wind vortex, Jeremy stepped closer, taunting them.

"I am not the only one," he told them. "I'm one of millions…In places you can't even imagine, in forms you would never believe. We are hell on this earth! You will never be safe and you will never be free!"

The last word echoed as Jeremy was caught in his demise. He roared in agony and fury, his entire body exploding. The sisters looked away from the scene and when they felt the wind die down, they looked up to find that Jeremy was no more.

"The Power of Four," Prue breathed, sounding awed by the power they held.

The other three sighed in relief that they had finally defeated their very first warlock, sharing small smiles of victory with one another.

* * *

><p>The morning after was always horribly awkward and no one really ever knew what the right thing to say was.<p>

This was no exception.

Bella woke up earlier than usual, intent on going on a refreshing jog before she had to leave for school. She'd been unable to sleep much, anyway. When she came home, the sky was still dark but Prue was already up – Bella could hear her in the master bathroom.

_At least one good thing came out of my insomnia. I don't have to fight Piper and Phoebe for hot water_, she thought wryly, stepping underneath the stream of warm water. She showered hurriedly and dressed quickly. By the time she headed downstairs, Prue was already sitting at the kitchen table, mug of freshly made coffee in her hands as she sipped slowly from it.

Piper, waiting for Phoebe who had snagged the bathroom before her to finish up, was piling fresh toast onto a plate.

"Morning, guys," Bella said as she made her way towards the fridge.

Piper looked her way. "Morning, Bells," she greeted, half cheerful, half wary. "How'd you sleep last night?"

Bella took out a bottle of her vitamin water and closed the fridge door. "What?" she asked Piper, eyebrows raised to her hairline as she uncapped the bottle.

Piper and Prue were both looking at her now. "It's just that last night was pretty scary," Piper said tentatively.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, for _all_ of us," she pointed out, hating that Piper was singling her out just because she was younger. It wasn't as though she had a say in the year she was conceived and birthed. "Did you ask _Prue_ how she slept last night, too?"

Piper grimaced guiltily.

"_All_ of us aren't fifteen," Prue retorted. "Piper's just being nice, Bella. No need to bite her head off."

Even though Bella wanted to scoff at that, she relented, knowing Prue was right. Piper was nothing if not kind-hearted. She was always mothering all of them, even if Prue was the eldest. She took on the 'comforting mom' role while Prue played the stern parental figure. "I'm sorry, Piper," she said, almost gruffly. "I slept just fine," she lied. Even if she didn't have nightmares, she was still uneasy and found herself unable to sleep uninterrupted the whole night.

Piper nodded. Though she didn't believe a word of that, she knew Bella would loathe it if she pushed. She was surprised, however, when Bella paused then asked quietly, "How about you?"

"Me?" she asked, looking at an unusually pensive Bella.

Bella nodded. "You dated Jeremy for six months, Piper," she reminded her unnecessarily. "You had feelings for him."

Piper shook her head. "I _thought_ I had feelings for him," she corrected.

"No," Bella argued. "You _most certainly_ had feelings – not for the warlock, but for the man you thought he was. It's understandable if you're grieving."

Piper looked away from both Prue and Bella, hating their sympathetic looks. "I'll be okay," she said finally. "I'm…Sad, and angry that I was so gullible. But I'll survive."

Bella nodded, the sympathy disappearing and an almost proud look entering her eyes. "That's _way_ better than grieving," she told Piper. "You could turn into a kick ass warlock hunter."

Piper laughed, shaking her head and opening her mouth to reply.

"Uh – _no_," Prue interjected before Piper could answer. "We're going to be extra careful, Bella, and that means that we can't parade our powers blatantly."

Bella rolled her eyes, tipping the bottle back to swallow a mouthful of her drink. "That's stupid," she told Prue bluntly. "You heard Jeremy. Many more like him are gonna come bursting in through our door. If we don't work on our powers, we can't control them as well as we should when we actually need them."

Prue frowned. "If they don't know we're witches, they won't come knocking," she said stubbornly.

Bella huffed. "Keep dreaming, Prue," she scoffed. "None of us had powers to show off for Jeremy to see and I'm pretty sure Grams never told anyone she was a witch, either. Jeremy still found us. If we're really prophesized to be that powerful, I'm betting there are a ton of evil beings out there out to get us. He can't have been the only one to figure it out."

Prue shook her head. "Regardless," she said, her voice holding the timbre of authority that Bella almost immediately abhorred. She wondered if this was why Phoebe made the decision to leave for New York, barring the whole Roger thing. "We're going to be careful, Bella, and that means we're not going to use our powers, we're not going to actively seek out evil and we're going to keep our identities as witches a secret."

Bella rolled her eyes once more, swiping a piece of buttered toast from the plate in front of Piper. "I don't think you can call us 'witches' if we don't use magic," she muttered.

Prue glared at her.

Before anyone else could say anything – most probably Piper who was bursting to intercept and act as the buffer like always – Phoebe bounded into the room. "Bathroom's free," she announced. Noticing the tension in the air, she quirked an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

"Nope," Bella said, her tone almost testy.

Prue slid from her chair. "I'm going to get the paper," she said to no one in particular, stalking out of the kitchen.

The three of them were silent as they watched her leave. "What was that all about?" Phoebe asked, turning back to look at Piper and Bella with wide eyes.

Bella shrugged. "Artistic differences," she drawled, causing Piper to lightly swat at her arm.

Phoebe sighed, shrugging. "You know, I've been thinking about what Jeremy said," causing Piper to groan. "What?"

Bella smirked. "The topic of discussion that caused that green vein in Prue's forehead to throb," she explained.

Phoebe nodded her head in understanding, "Ah…"

Bella turned to walk out of the kitchen, finishing the last of her toast. Phoebe and Piper followed, Phoebe continuing with her idea, "I think we should learn more."

"About what?" Piper questioned.

"About our powers," Phoebe clarified.

Bella grinned. "_That's_ my kinda girl!" she crowed happily, causing Piper to roll her eyes.

Phoebe laughed. "Well, I don't mean just the fun stuff," she warned, knowing Bella was looking for 'adventures' in the form of magical tricks and fighting more warlocks. "I think it'd be good if we had more time before the next evil finds us. I know we'll have to face others like Jeremy but I think we need some time to practice with our powers and learn more about how to control them."

Bella snorted. "Good luck trying to convince Prue to do that," she warned Phoebe. "She's in denial land."

Piper looked at Bella with a disapproving look on her face. "You know, a lot has changed for all of us in the space of two days," she chided softly. "Prue most of all. You know how she likes stability. Now she's out of a job, she's finally comes to terms with the fact that she almost married a cheating jerk and she learns she's a witch and has no control of her own life…I think you're being a little harsh on her, Bells."

Bella sighed. "Look, I get it, she doesn't like the unpredictable," she allowed. "But that's what life is. And _this_ is our life now. Magic, witches, warlocks…It's only going to end up hurting her if she tries to ignore it. And I don't mean in the metaphorical, emotional crap way, either. I mean in a real, physical, 'death-will-befall-you' sorta way."

Piper cringed at her words.

Phoebe frowned. "Well, she can't be in denial forever," she pointed out. "We'll take this one step at a time. Prue will come around."

"I hope so," Piper sighed.

Bella raised an eyebrow at her. "I wasn't aware that you were so eager to embrace your inner witch, Piper," she smirked.

Piper blushed. "I'm not," she defended herself, mostly telling the truth. "I just…Like you guys said, you know, I don't want to be caught off guard and unable to defend myself and my sisters when the bad guys come our way." Hesitating, she added a moment later, "But I'm also not ready to jump head first into magic. It's a little scary, to be honest."

"Aw, honey," Phoebe smiled at Piper, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We'll all do this together. Hopefully it'll be a little less scary if we do."

"I hope you're right."

The conversation lulled as they entered the living room. Bella went towards her school bag resting on the couch and smiled when she saw the cat – newly christened 'Kit' by Bella and Phoebe – curled up next to her gym duffel. "Hey, Kit," she cooed, grinning when the cat leaped into her arms, snuggling into her body without hesitation.

Turning to look at Piper and Phoebe, she said, "Look on the bright side of this week, Piper. We have a new cat to come home to."

Piper chuckled, reaching out to scratch behind Kit's ears. "Yeah, I'm kinda surprised Prue let us keep her," she admitted.

Bella shrugged. "Maybe she misses Rasputin, too," she suggested. Bella had been the most attached to the beautiful white canine that their Grams had owned. Rasputin had been around since Bella was about four years old and had been around until she was twelve, almost thirteen, years old. One day, the dog just upped and disappeared. They put up flyers everywhere asking for anyone to contact them should they find him but no one did. The search eventually died down after a few weeks passed with no word. Bella had been even more devastated than Grams' had been.

Piper smiled gently at Bella. She knew that Bella's attachment to Rasputin had a lot to do with the fact that, by the time she was eleven, she was practically raised as an only child. Prue and Piper had been away at college, staying at dorms and – later – in an apartment together, since Bella was seven years old. Phoebe was rarely home when she entered her rebellious teen phase. Bella had been pretty alone with just Grams as a constant companion. Rasputin had been a great friend to her, not just a pet.

She was glad Bella had a new pet to befriend now, even if she was older and didn't need to rely on furry creatures for companionship anymore. _What with all the boyfriends she's having_, Piper thought wryly.

"Do you hear voices?" Piper asked suddenly, her ears picking up on spoken words from the porch. "I think I hear a man talking…"

Phoebe quirked an eyebrow at her sister. "Are you hallucinating?" she asked, not picking up on the same things as Piper.

Piper scowled at her and made her way to the foyer to open the door.

"I hope you're heading to work soon, Piper," Bella sighed as she and Phoebe made to follow her. "I'm so not in the mood for the bus today."

"The bus?" Phoebe questioned. "Carter not picking you up today?"

Bella rolled her eyes. _Ugh, that is _so_ old news_, she thought to herself. "I broke up with him," she informed her sisters.

"Wow," Piper murmured. "I thought you liked him."

"I did," Bella sighed dramatically. "But he was pretty tight with Jeremy and I didn't want to run the risk of dating a warlock." Giving Piper a sideways glance, she murmured, "Sorry."

"None taken," Piper answered quickly, ignoring the sharp sting in her heart. "And I think that's pretty smart." Just to irritate Bella, she added slyly, "Prue would approve."

Just like Piper knew she would, Bella began to scowl.

Phoebe giggled slightly. "When did you break things off with him?" she asked curiously. "We only found out about Jeremy last night."

"I left a message on his phone after we killed Jeremy," Bella stated bluntly, not catching the grimace on Piper's face.

Phoebe gave her a look. "A message?" she asked incredulously. "You broke up with him via answering machine?"

Bella gave her a wide-eyed look. "What?" she asked in an innocent voice. "The world's getting a lot more technology savvy. People break up over answering machines all the time."

"Uh-huh," Phoebe replied dryly.

Piper opened the door and the three of them stepped outside, Kit still curled up comfortably in Bella's arms. They stepped outside just in time to see a man walking away from their front steps.

"That was Andy," Piper pointed out. "I told you I heard a man's voice."

Kit meowed in Bella's arms, causing the young girl to smile down at the cat, giving it a gentle rub on its belly.

The three of them headed down the front steps towards Prue, who was still looking at Andy's retreating back, fighting the urge to call him back and accept his offer for dinner.

"What did he want?" Bella asked, her eyes shifting towards the older man and narrowing minimally. It was strange how, just yesterday, she'd been happy to see him and rooting for Prue and Andy to reconnect and maybe even get back together. Prue had been alone and unhappy ever since her break up with Roger and she'd thought that Andy might bring some life back into Prue. But then again, yesterday when they'd bumped into Andy, they were still naïve enough to believe that people were really who they said they were.

_I mean, what are the chances that Andy came back into Prue's life just as we get our powers?_ Bella thought to herself. _That's suspicious, isn't it?_

"He asked me out," Prue replied, turning around to face her sisters.

Bella narrowed her eyes further, now directing her attention at her sister. "And you said…?" she prompted.

"Well, I started to say 'yes'," Prue admitted. "But then I stopped. I wondered if I could date. I mean, do witches date?" she asked aloud, frowning.

Piper grinned. "Not only do they date, but they usually get the best guys," she joked.

Bella fought the urge to quip sarcastically about how if Piper thought Jeremy was one of the 'best guys', then she was severely off in the head. Even _she_ knew that it would be too mean to say that. Instead, her eyes were drawn back to Andy. She frowned when she saw him by his car door, watching them with a certain intensity that she wasn't sure she liked at all. Her gaze didn't waver from him, nor did her frown disappear, but he eventually slid on his sunglasses and slipped into his car.

Bella tuned back into her sister's conversation to hear Prue saying, "You three won't be laughing when this happens to you. Believe me…Everything will be different now."

"Well, at least our lives won't be boring," Phoebe pointed out optimistically.

Prue sounded despondent when she replied with, "But they'll never be the same."

"And this is a _bad_ thing?" Phoebe asked, almost laughingly.

Bella nodded in agreement. "I agree with Phoebe," she stated.

_Of course you do_, Prue thought sarcastically.

"I mean, if things stayed the same, we wouldn't be together, united as a family once more," Bella continued.

Prue smiled slightly, knowing how much Bella had hated it when the family had seemed to drift apart – Prue and Phoebe's relationship had seemed beyond repairs for years, Prue and Piper had moved out, Phoebe had considered leaving San Francisco and Grams' health seemed to get worse daily. Bella had been terrified her family would no longer be a family. Prue knew it meant more to Bella than the others now that Phoebe had moved back in and the four of them had something more than sisterhood to bind them together – something that was as big as a shared magical destiny.

"No, it's not all bad," she acquiesced almost reluctantly. "But it could be a big problem."

The four of them headed back up the steps to the house.

"Prue's right," Piper murmured quietly, sounding as worried as she looked. "What are we going to do?"

"What _can't_ we do?" Phoebe countered with a sly grin.

"We are going to be careful," Prue said firmly, ignoring Phoebe's words. "We're going to be wise. And we're going to stick together."

Bella snorted a little at that. "This should be interesting," she couldn't help but add, throwing a smirk at her sisters. As much as the idea appealed to her, she knew that 'sticking together' would cause friction between some of them – namely Prue and Phoebe. She sincerely hoped it would all work out in the long run.

Phoebe, Piper and Bella headed into the house, Phoebe talking about picking up food, toys and a scratching post for Kit later on and Bella complaining about getting a tardy if Piper didn't get a move on and shower so that they could leave already.

Prue stepped across the threshold. She paused, looking at the open door. Even though she had just spewed on about being careful, and even though she had reservations about any of them using magic, she couldn't help the sly smile as a spontaneous thought occurred to her.

Lifting her hand and focusing her power, she telekinetically closed the front door.

* * *

><p>*GASP* Bella's acting like a spoilt, too-good-for-you, authority-defying teenage girl? Well, most teenagers think like that, don't they? And we're pretty selfish, too. I mean, the level of selfishness varies but no teenager actually acts like Bella does in the books.<p>

I have to warn you – this attitude of hers isn't going to change. It's partly because of the spell that reawakened everything supernatural about her (it is related to her paternal bloodlines) but it's also because a) she's a teenager and b) I wanted this Bella to have a different attitude. I sorta thought it was weird how SM portrayed her in the series, as though she's a virtual child. She doesn't want anyone to baby her but she acts like one.

Jake isn't going to be in this story (though another wolf is getting recurring cast membership in season 3) but did you notice, in the books, how even though he's two years younger than she is, he pretends he's older and calls her things like 'honey' and babies her a lot? Everyone treats her like this annoying, perpetual child and I hate it so freaking much. Grow a backbone, Swan, and knee one of them Neanderthals in the nuts.

I know in this story, she kinda has a 'Rosalie Hale' attitude but it's for good reason, IMO anyway. Her arrogance when it comes to fighting and stuff is totally related to her heritage. I'm pretty sure you can figure it out since I already revealed who her paternal grandmother is (Aphrodite) so it's not hard to figure out who her paternal grandfather is. Her father (Aphrodite's son) is totally made up and not an actual Greek God from the myths.

Just to remind you – at this point, neither Bella nor her sisters know who Bella father is so they don't know that Bella is half-God, half-witch. They probably assume that Bella's half-mortal like they are.

Also, did you catch on? Bella's pretty suspicious of people, huh? Wonder what that'll mean for Cole. We already know Prue's dislike of him but Bella's more act-than-think first here, unlike Prue.

P.S. I wanted your opinion before anything else happens. I already know what I'm going to do with Andy (though it would be interesting to know what you'd think about whether he should live or die like in canon in the Charmed: Redux universe) but what do you think of Prue? Should she die in season 3 finale? You realize, of course, that the plot would have to be changed DRASTICALLY if she lived on after season 3 but I just wanted to know. A few readers have said that they preferred it if she lived but I'm just not sure…

Anyway, I had this idea…Which isn't very original at all since there are a ton of Twilight/Charmed crossovers. I wanted to put my own spin to it since I could only find one or two that has Bella being a Charmed One/witch **BEFORE** Edward and the Cullens destroyed her.

I hope you guys like it and leave me a review. Even if you don't, feel free to drop a line anyway.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this story. You guys are amazing.

Juliet.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** So here's the thing…I know I said I wasn't even sure if I wanted to post this story past episode 1 but I was so damn inspired by all the wonderful feedback you guys gave me that I sat down at my laptop and wrote out the second episode.

Then I logged in a few hours ago and saw that we have officially reached 100 reviews for the first episode. That is INCREDIBLE. Thank you so much to all who took the time to review - you're AMAZING. I feel like I'm on a high right now.

I thought I'd repay the favor by posting the second episode since I know that I might not be consistent with replying to all reviewers. I'm sorry about that, by the way. I'll be online in the next few hours so feel free to ask me anything you'd like and I'll reply ASAP. I also do my best to reply to ALL reviewers in the future.

Some of you have asked me this: will I be writing out all episodes. Well, I'm not so sure. There are a few episodes that I can't fit Bella in at all, especially ones which are Victor-heavy. Like the third episode, for example. I know it's when Leo was first introduced but he barely had a few lines so I don't think it's all that crucial. I just can't fit a suitable storyline for Bella without making it seem like it's a separate one from the other three. She has a few awesome sarcastic comments but I'll just put them in a different episode. So, to answer the question - no. Not all episodes will be re-written for the 'Charmed: Redux' universe.

It has also been brought to my attention that, since there are FOUR Charmed Ones, it'd be befitting that the symbol for them would have FOUR interlocking arcs as opposed to THREE like in the show. This would be known as the Celtic Quaternary Knot. Some say the quaternary knot is a sign of protection, some say each arc in the knot represents the four elements, some say it's for good luck like the four-leaf clover…There are quite a few meanings for the symbol. I liked the meanings, but I'm only halfway convinced to chance it from a Triquetra to a Quaternary. I could explain away the three arcs if I kept the original Tributary (and why there isn't a fourth arc to represent the fourth sister) but it might be a shaky theory. I'd really appreciate any opinion from you. Thank you.

All six parts are ready to be posted so I thought I'd start with part 1 of episode 2. Please, read and enjoy and leave a line or two to tell me what you thought of it when you're done.

Thank you once again.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Phoebe made her way through the crowd in Quake, looking left and right for Bella.<p>

Her youngest sister had given her a call and practically demanded her to come by the restaurant, claiming that their second oldest sister Piper was too busy rushing in and out of the kitchen and around the restaurant to spend any time with her.

Phoebe had been reluctant – until Bella had promised 'serious eye candy'.

"Oops, sorry," she said as she bumped accidentally into someone, smiling apologetically. She still couldn't find Bella when she ran into a harried looking Piper, who was carrying a bill and seemed to have been rushing around before Phoebe came, if her slightly haggard appearance was anything to go by.

"I'm gonna kill him," Piper said frantically.

Phoebe frowned at her confusedly. "Who?"

"Chef Moore," Piper clarified hurriedly, spinning on her heel to head to the bar. Phoebe had to almost jog to keep up with her. "He, of the phony accent, hires me and then quits to open his new place. Thank you very much."

Phoebe laughed lightly. "I don't see any customers complaining," she pointed out. They reached the bar where Bella was sitting, flirting openly with a besotted-looking bartender. There was a shot glass filled with vodka in front of her. "Hey," Phoebe greeted Bella with a kiss to the cheek.

Bella smiled at her, waving at the bartender as he left the three sisters alone. "Hey," she grinned back at her.

Piper frowned at her. "Is that alcohol?" she nodded at the vodka.

Bella swiped the shot glass off the counter top and downed it in one go. "Not anymore," she sang out to Piper. When her older sister continued to frown, she said, "Piper, lighten up."

"You know that could've cost the restaurant it's license?" she hissed. "You're underage."

Bella rolled her eyes. "And no one's the wiser as long as you don't yell it out again," she said meaningfully, throwing in a pointed stare for good measure. "Stop worrying so much, babe, you'll get wrinkles."

Turning away from a still-panicked Piper, Bella addressed Phoebe. "Isn't Javier cute?" she asked, nodding at the Hispanic bartender who had just walked away from them.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Javier?" she repeated. "Wow, you bounced back from Carter fast."

Bella grinned impishly. "Carter who?" she teased. At Phoebe's laugh and shake of the head, Bella chuckled. "I'm too young to mourn and be depressed and all that crap. Let's leave that to the fifty year old divorcees. Carter and I had a good run, now he might possibly be a warlock so I've moved on."

Phoebe rolled her eyes at Bella's cavalier attitude.

Piper waved her hands in front of her sisters' faces. "Hello, can we get back to me, please?" she said in a rush. "I am not a restaurateur. I'm a chef. I have no idea what I am doing…" Squinting at the familiar dress Phoebe had on, she asked, completely out of left field, "Are you wearing my dress?"

Phoebe was saved from answering when they were interrupted by a friend of Piper and Phoebe's, Britney Reynolds. "Hey, Britney," Phoebe grinned at her.

Britney greeted the three of them with a smile, handing Piper the money for her bill. Piper took it from her, smiling forcedly due to being so tired, and went to get her the right change.

Bella, noticing the flash of ink, gasped and took hold of Britney's right hand. "Ooh, I love that tattoo," she gushed, speaking of the inked angel on the back of Britney's hand.

"Thanks," Britney grinned.

"I thought it was illegal to get them on your hand because of the veins?" Phoebe asked, curious.

"In the States, yeah," Britney nodded. "I got it done in Tahiti."

Bella grinned. "Sneaky," she approved.

Britney laughed, amused. Piper came back to the bar, Britney's change in hand but Britney shook her head. "Keep the change, Piper. I gotta jam," she said.

"Okay. Say 'hi' to Max," Piper bid goodbye.

"Bye," Britney waved to the three sisters before leaving.

Piper sighed. Turning to a waitress who was approaching the bar, she handed the bill presenter with Britney's payment to her, saying, "Table nine, please."

Bella nudged Phoebe. "Hot guy, three o'clock," she whispered to Phoebe out of the corner of her mouth.

Phoebe snuck a look at him and immediately zoned out of Piper's panic moments, a sudden vision hitting her fast and hard. She watched as 'future hot guy' came up to her in her mind's eye, his courage gathered, approached her, introduced himself and asked if he could buy her a drink.

She let out a small gasp as she was pulled out of the vision, then smiled slyly. _Well, this might turn out to be a good night after all_, she grinned to herself.

The first thing Phoebe saw after her vision faded was Bella's grinning, knowing expression directed at her.

Piper turned back to Phoebe just as she returned to reality. Not noticing anything amiss, she said, "Now, back to my dress…"

"Did you…?" Bella asked Phoebe, her question trailing off before she could finish asking. She didn't need to form the right words, however, because Phoebe seemed to know exactly what she meant.

Phoebe nodded, her excited smile mirroring Bella's. "Yep," she replied instantly.

Piper stared at the two of them suspiciously. "What the hell are the two of you talking about?" she asked warily.

Phoebe and Bella shared a look before Phoebe leaned towards Piper. "Okay," she said quietly. "See that poster boy to your left?" Piper turned her head to look at him. "Just glance, don't be obvious," Phoebe warned quickly.

Piper did as instructed, hurriedly giving the man a onceover before facing Phoebe and Bella once more. "I approve," she said. "Who is he?"

"His name is Alec and he's about to come over and ask if he could buy me a martini," Phoebe said, a hint of smug giddiness in her voice.

Piper gaped at her. "How do you know?"

Bella smirked and threw an arm around Phoebe's neck. "Let's just say that Phoebe here has solved the age old problem of who approaches who first," she sighed contentedly. "I envy you," she told Phoebe. "Not by much, but it's still there."

Phoebe laughed.

Piper shook her head. "What?"

"I had a little premonition," Phoebe clarified.

Piper's eyes widened. "What?" she sounded outraged and petrified all at the same time. "Phoebe, you are not supposed to use your powers. We agreed," she reminded her younger sister.

"No, you and Prue agreed," Phoebe corrected her. "I abstained. Bella's the one who's been actively trying to use her powers on a daily basis."

When Piper turned to give Bella a look of disbelief, Bella glared at Phoebe. "Gee, thanks for ratting me out, sis," she said sarcastically. "Next time I won't be so nice and steal your boy toys away from you instead."

Piper leaned across the bar to whisper harshly to Bella, "Prue is going to kill you when she finds out, Bella."

Bella sighed. "Look, it's not like I've been having much luck with that, anyway," she shrugged. "I just wanted to be sure, you know? Your powers aren't as obvious as mine. So you freeze a room – no one will notice. And unless there's a mind reader around somewhere, I'm pretty sure no one will know Phoebe's getting a vision. But me? I can't control my power and it's coming to me in short bursts out of nowhere. I almost knocked down my school gym's basketball hoop on Wednesday. I just don't want to risk losing control and speeding around school or something."

"That's the whole point," Piper insisted. "None of us can control our powers. That's what scares me. I could panic and freeze the entire restaurant."

Bella nodded. "Then don't you think it's best if we learn to control our powers?" she pointed out. "That way, we won't have magical mishaps like that and expose ourselves."

Piper was starting to shake her head, fuelling Bella's irritation at her two eldest sisters' denial when it came to their magical ancestry.

Phoebe, her attention divided between her sisters' conversation and the cute guy Alec, suddenly shushed Piper and Bella. "Shh, here he comes," she whispered quickly to Piper and Bella.

Piper and Bella watched as Alec slipped from his seat and approached the three sisters, his eyes flickering between Bella and Phoebe.

Bella caught the interested gleam in his eyes as he took in her beauty and deliberately schooled her features into an aloof expression, exuding indifference as she glanced his way briefly then looked away. Though Alec was cute, the last thing Bella wanted was to argue with one of her sisters about a guy.

Noting her silent rejection of his perusal, Alec focused all of his attention on Phoebe who – thankfully – hadn't seemed to notice the exchange between her soon-to-be date and her youngest sister.

"Hi," Alec said as he approached the bar.

Phoebe, pretending she hadn't noticed or knew of his approach, turned her head in his direction. "Oh, hello," she smiled, her tone pleasantly surprised even if she was anything but.

Alec smiled at Phoebe. "I was just…Sitting over there wondering if I could buy you a martini or something," he told her, almost sheepishly.

"Martini, hmm, imagine that," Bella said slyly, giving Piper an impish grin just to tick her off further.

Phoebe ignored both Bella and a scowling Piper, smiling flirtatiously at Alec. "I would love one," she assured him. "It's Alec, right?" she couldn't help her own reference to her psychic vision earlier.

Alec seemed pleasantly surprised. "Yeah, how'd you know my name?" he asked curiously.

"Wild guess," Phoebe shrugged. "Do you wanna grab a table?"

"Yeah," Alec grinned, and Phoebe hopped down from her bar stool.

Piper, leaning close to Phoebe, whispered, "Prue is gonna be pissed."

Bella sighed, annoyed, and told Piper, "Seriously, I wasn't kidding about the wrinkles." Turning to Phoebe, she leaned in even closer and whispered in Phoebe's ear, "Forget about Prue and sleaze it up with Alec – I'm getting a sex vibe between the two of you."

Phoebe laughed, swatting Bella on the arm playfully before taking Alec's arm and walking off together with him towards an empty table.

Bella sighed contentedly as she watched them leave. Catching the unsettled look on Piper's face, she reached out and patted Piper's hand. "Piper, stop worrying, okay?" she said.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know, the wrinkles," she said dryly, waving off Bella's words.

"Phoebe will be fine," Bella insisted, ignoring Piper's words. "It was a harmless vision she couldn't have helped, and all that came out of it was a date. Now, stop obsessing about our powers so you can go back to panicking about the restaurant."

Piper glared at her.

Their little sisterly bonding was interrupted by Javier the cute bartender. Still dressed in his uniform, he had his jacket slung over one arm. "Uh, Bella?" he said nervously.

Bella spun around in her seat to face him. "Oh, hey, Javi," she grinned a wide, megawatt smile at him, which only served to make him even more nervous. Resting her elbows on the counter top on either side of her, she asked casually, "What's up?"

"Well, I just finished my shift and I thought maybe…You'd wanna go out with me for dinner?" he asked hopefully.

Bella pretended to consider his offer. "Hmm…I don't know," she teased. "This is sort of short notice…"

Javier, encouraged by her teasing tone, laughed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Well, I promise to make it worth your while," he tempted.

Bella grinned. "I'm gonna hold you to that," she warned.

"And I'm gonna deliver," he promised.

Hopping off her stool, Bella turned and gave Piper a quick goodbye. "Don't stress yourself out too much," she advised. "See you at home. Bye."

Piper shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips as she watched her youngest sister walk away arm in arm with Javier. "Have fun," she called out.

Bella turned her head back and winked at Piper, mouthing the words, "I will," before turning back to face the front, her attention back on her impromptu date.

* * *

><p>Halfway across town, finishing up on her own first date with Andy, Prue snuck out of his bed just as the sun began to rise. <em>I can't believe we did that<em>, she hissed in her mind, slipping on an oversized t-shirt of his she grabbed from the back of a chair. _It's like I was possessed by both Phoebe and Bella and forgot all sense of who I was last night…_

She quietly tiptoed around his room, grabbing her clothes, shoes and bag scattered all over his floor. Andy groaned slightly as he shifted in his sleep. Prue halted in her steps, glancing fearfully at his sleeping form. When he remained asleep, she let out a relieved breath. Biting her lip, Prue made to tiptoe towards the door, when his alarm clock beeped loudly.

She turned her head towards the offending object so quickly that she almost gave herself whiplash. Squinting her eyes at the alarm clock, she conjured up the memory of using her power last – when she had closed the door to the manor after that whole Jeremy fiasco – and focused that same energy towards the clock.

She breathed out in relief as the alarm clock flew from the bedside table and flew out the open window. Her relief didn't last long as she could see Andy already starting to rouse from his slumber and, not wanting to talk to him at the moment, she hurried towards the door for a quick escape.

She winced as she heard Andy's voice calling out her name as she closed the door to his apartment. She rushed towards the elevator, deciding to dress inside the metal lift to lower the risk of Andy coming out of his apartment and catching her.

_I sound so juvenile_, Prue sighed to herself. _God, I hope no one finds out about this_.

She managed to get home before any of her sisters were awake. She snuck upstairs to her room, took a long shower and dressed for her interview later on at Buckland's Auction House.

By the time she got back downstairs, the house was buzzing alive. She could hear Phoebe singing loudly in the bathroom, passed by Bella's open bedroom door where her younger sister was busy blow-drying her hair and entered the kitchen to find Piper whisking eggs in a bowl as she watched some sort of documentary on witches on the small kitchen TV.

"Morning," Prue said to Piper.

"Morning," Piper replied distractedly.

"What are you watching?" Prue asked as she headed for the fridge and pulled out the jug of OJ.

Piper blinked, as though just realizing Prue was in the room. "Nothing," she said, quickly turning off the TV. "Just a show."

"About witches?" Prue smirked slightly as she poured herself a glass of OJ. "Are you worried we're gonna be burned at the stake?"

"Yeah, right," Piper scoffed unconvincingly.

"Who's getting burned at the stake?" Bella asked as she bounced into the room.

Prue stifled her amused smile as Piper glared embarrassedly at the both of them. "No one," Piper bit out. Changing the topic fast, she told Prue, "By the way, Andy called."

That was enough to diminish Prue's amusement. "When?" she asked, practically slamming the jug of OJ on the counter top.

"While you were in the shower," Piper replied.

"What did you tell him?" Prue demanded.

Piper frowned. "That you were in the shower," she answered dryly. Eyeing Prue's clearly ruffled feathers, Piper quirked an eyebrow, a gentle, knowing smile curved on her lips. "Bad date?"

Prue closed her eyes briefly. "No. No, no. Not at all. It was great," she said in the most cheerful voice she could muster. "You know…Dinner, movie…"

A tug in her heart, and a deeper tug in the pit of Bella's stomach, made her freeze. One hand still clutching the low-fat muffin she'd swiped off the kitchen island, she stared at Prue, eyes narrowed.

"No, wait…" she murmured, her eyes raking over Prue's face, taking in every detail.

Moving her gaze from Prue's glowing skin towards the rest of her, Bella took in Prue's confident but definitely defensive posture. Something in her heart was telling Bella that her eldest sister hadn't just gone on a regular date the night before. It was screaming at her so clearly, the afterglow almost literally glowing pink around Prue in Bella's eyes. She wondered why Piper didn't see it, too.

"That's not all that happened," Bella murmured, confident in her assessment even if she didn't know why she'd suspected it in the first place.

Bella reveled in the slight panic flaring in Prue's eyes and the discomfort clearly written all over her face. _Let's see how Miss I-do-everything-by-the-book explains her way out of this_, she thought smugly.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked confusedly, looking between Prue and Bella suspiciously the same way she had the night before between Bella and Phoebe after the latter's premonition at the restaurant.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know how or why but I can feel it…Sense it…" Smirking knowingly at Prue, she tattled, "You had sex!"

Prue threw Bella a shocked glare. "Bella!" she gasped, outraged.

Bella laughed, waving Prue's anger away with her hand dismissively. "Oh, it's totally true," she scoffed. "Don't even try and deny it."

Piper started to smile at the banter. "You had sex on the first date? You sleaze," she teased Prue, joining in on Bella's laughter.

Prue winced, biting her lip. As though trying to convince herself instead of her sisters, she started to explain her actions in an almost desperate manner. "It wasn't exactly our first date, Piper," she reminded both of her sisters with a meaningful look.

Piper shook her head. "High school doesn't count. That was last decade. Spill it," she demanded.

Prue gave Piper and Bella reproving glares, grabbed her mug and stalked out of the kitchen.

Piper and Bella shared a look then trailed after Prue as the eldest sister walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Ooh, that bad, huh?" Piper winced sympathetically, taking Prue's glare the wrong way.

Another tug deep within Bella's womb told her the truth. "No, actually, that good," she corrected Piper. When Prue threw her a confused scowl over her shoulder, Bella shrugged, wide-eyed. "Hey, I don't know what's going on with me, either," she defended herself.

"So…?" Piper prompted Prue. "If it was that good, then why the long face?" she asked. Narrowing her eyes, she questioned, "Unless Bella's wrong…?"

Bella scoffed, scowling. "As if," she crossed her arms across her chest.

"It was…" Prue shook her head, fighting back a smile at the memories of last night. "Well, we were amazing."

"Uh – duh," Bella rolled her eyes. "You're sporting a glow so bright I'm surprised China hasn't called wondering why it's sunny at midnight."

"But that's not the point," Prue continued hurriedly, giving Bella a dirty look as the three of them walked. "I told myself that things would be different. That we would…Take it slow. It just shouldn't have happened, that's all."

"What shouldn't have happened?" Phoebe asked as she bounded down the stairs and walked up to her three sisters.

Prue wanted to remain silent – too many people already knew about her indiscretion with Andy the night before. She didn't need Phoebe to know, as well.

Unfortunately for Prue, Piper didn't share her view. Turning to Phoebe, Piper blurted out nonchalantly, "Prue slept with Andy."

"Hello," Phoebe said, surprised.

Prue glared at Piper. "Thanks a lot, mouth," she bit out.

Phoebe gaped at Prue. "Wait – you were gonna tell them but not me? Family meeting," she said, slightly insulted. "You always said that Bella's too young to even know about these things and now you're confiding in her?"

"Hey, I resent that," Bella huffed. "It's not like I had a choice on when I was born. Why am I getting punished for it?"

"Prue didn't tell us," Piper informed Phoebe. "Bella 'sensed' it."

Phoebe frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together confusedly. "What? How?" she asked, her attention focused on her youngest sister.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "All I know was that I saw her, she looked like she was glowing, there was a tingle in my mind and I immediately knew that she got some lovin' last night – and this morning," she smirked, wagging her eyebrow at Prue ridiculously.

"God!" Prue complained loudly, scowling. "Bella! Stop that!"

Bella held up her hands, palms facing Prue. "Not my fault, Prue," she defended herself. "My senses are-"

"Tingling, yeah, I got it," Prue interrupted dryly.

Bella pursed her lips, thinking. An idea forming in her mind, Bella's eyes lit up as she wondered aloud, "Hey, maybe I'm turning into a succubus."

Phoebe stifled an amused smile. "I'm pretty sure that's a kind of demon, Bella," she said gently.

Bella's smile vanished. "Oh," she said flatly. "That makes it less cool."

Phoebe snorted, shaking her head. "So, come on," she said, turning back to Prue. "Dish on last night."

"I will not," Prue said easily. "Speaking of last night…What time did you end up rolling in?"

Phoebe shook her head. "No, no, no. Don't change the subject," she objected.

"Don't dodge the question," Prue shot back.

Piper, grinning, nudged Phoebe gently. "It must've been at least after three," she teased her sister.

The four of them walked into the sunny solarium and Prue immediately took her seat at the table, ready to start her morning with her OJ and reading the paper before heading out for her interview.

"I must still be in New York time," Phoebe said airily.

Prue gave her a look as she fumbled through the papers. "Actually, that would make it later," she corrected Phoebe.

"Can I just point out that I was back by midnight?" Bella piped up. "I would've been later but I had a curfew to keep."

Prue looked at her incredulously. "Bella, your curfew's at ten thirty," she pointed out.

Bella waved her hand, "Details, details…My point is, whatever time Phoebe came home at, I was home earlier."

Prue sighed. "And why are you making this point?" she asked warily.

Bella blinked at her. "I thought it was obvious? That was my subtle way of asking for a raise in curfew," she clarified.

"No."

Bella glowered at Prue. "Won't you at least consider it?"

Prue pursed her lips, nodding her head. "Considered…And denied," she smiled at Bella's irritation.

"So what did you and Alec get up to last night?" Piper asked Phoebe, curious.

Bella quirked an eyebrow. "Barring the obvious?" she smirked.

Prue interrupted, "Who's Alec?"

"Some hottie she hit on in the restaurant," Piper replied.

Phoebe held up a hand. "Excuse me, where vision is history, he hit on me. Remember the whole vision thing?" she reminded Piper.

Prue's smile at watching her sisters banter instantly started to droop. "Vision thing?" she repeated slowly. "Please tell me you didn't use your powers."

Phoebe's silence spoke volumes, and so did the slightly guilty look she and Bella shared. Prue turned her stoic face Piper's way, silently demanding an explanation.

Piper shook her head. "Don't put me in the middle of the two of you," she argued.

"I'm not. You were born in the middle," Prue quipped. "Look, I thought that we agreed," Prue reminded Phoebe.

"No, we didn't," Bella immediately protested. "You and Piper did but Phoebe and I didn't. In fact, I remember me _disagreeing_…Loudly."

Phoebe nodded. "Bella's right," she said. "You agreed. You laid down the law. There's a difference."

For some reason, Prue's annoyance made Phoebe angry and sad all at the same time. She was frustrated that Prue could turn an almost lighthearted moment between them all and turn it into a serious, 'you-did-something-wrong-again-Phoebe' moment.

"Phoebe," Prue exhaled exasperatedly. "Our powers aren't toys. We have to be careful or they can get us killed."

"She's right," Piper nodded seriously. "We don't want any warlocks finding us."

Bella frowned at Piper. "I thought you didn't want to be in the middle?" she reminded Piper, who scowled back at her.

Phoebe, ignoring Piper and Bella, defended herself to Prue, "Look, it was just a lousy premonition, that's all. Nobody died. Besides, you guys can't control your powers better than I can."

When it was clear Prue's scowl wasn't about to lessen, Phoebe decided it was best to get the heat partially off of her. _Sorry, Bella, but there's only so much disapproval a sister can take_, Phoebe apologized silently. "At least I'm not using my powers on a daily basis on purpose," she tattled.

As Phoebe predicted, Prue's icy glare was now turned to Bella. "Bella!" Prue scolded.

Instead of trying to deny it, Bella went on the defensive, "Okay, you know what? My power kicks your power in the ass." Crossing her arms, she explained herself in an almost huffy manner, "I just want to be sure that _if_ I need it in case a warlock baddie comes bursting in, I'm prepared. Excuse me for not wanting to die before it's okay for me to drink in public without getting arrested or something."

Prue blinked at her. "You drink!"

Piper gawked at Prue. "Really?" she asked incredulously. "That's all you got from that? What about Bella confessing that she's been trying to use her powers daily?"

Prue sighed, running a hand though her short, dark hair. "Look, everyone here needs to come to an agreement," she said firmly. "Using our powers right now is just not an option. We need to be discreet and careful, guys – and using visions to flirt with guys is not being careful. Neither is going on dates with guys you barely know. If Jeremy, someone we thought we knew for six months, could betray us so easily, it would be a hundred times easier for a stranger."

Bella shook her head. "No, I didn't sense Alec being evil," she assured Prue. "And neither was Javier."

"First of all, we can't go by your gut instincts, Bella, no matter how strong you think they are," Prue shot down. Her eyebrows rose to her hairline as she asked, "And secondly - Javier?"

"My date for last night," Bella clarified. "He's a bartender at Quake."

Prue mentally palmed her face in exasperation. _I can't believe this_, she grumbled. _I wasn't there for one night and Piper and Phoebe let our fifteen year old sister disappear with some older guy she barely knows_.

Noting Prue's displeased expression, Phoebe added, "And FYI…Nothing happened last night. At least, nothing I'm ashamed of."

Prue shook her head slightly as though to dismiss Phoebe's words, and changed the subject quickly. "There's another reason we have to be careful," she warned her sisters. "Andy thinks someone's abducting women in our area."

Bella perked up at the mention of a baddie – supernatural or no, her drive to fight had only increased in the last week. She felt like a starved maniac looking for a little action. "Abducting women? What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"I mean warlocks aren't the only evil we have to watch out for," she explained. Leveling Phoebe with a confident stare, Prue threw back her earlier words at her almost verbatim, "And FYI…I'm not ashamed of anything."

Bella threw Prue a proud grin. "You go, Prue! Embrace your inner slut!" she cheered. Receiving a rolled up newspaper to the head, she nodded, "That's fair."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** You guys have NO idea how AMAZING it is to get your reviews. I'm so glad you liked Bella, Charmed: Redux edition. I was a little surprised that the favorite line of last chapter was the 'embrace your inner slut' line - I thought that was a tad vulgar but Bella insisted and I couldn't cut it. Also, for those who gave me their opinion on the Triquetra/Quaternary thing, I WILL be going back to episode 1 and changing it to Quaternary but I won't do that until all of episode 2 is uploaded on here.

I'm so sorry this took so long. I've been distracted watching Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I'm 12 seasons too late watching it and, admittedly, the only reason I started at all was because of a commercial I saw on TV on the J Love episode…She was INCREDIBLE. Then I saw 'Bombshell' which was the Rose McGowan episode…When I looked her up on the internet, she looked tired and stuff but it wasn't so obvious that she'd had plastic surgery. When I saw her on TV, I was like 'Whoa, that's not Paige!' I wished she hadn't had surgery…She was much better looking in Charmed.

P.S. I don't know if you've seen 'Bombshell' so I won't give spoilers on her character Cassandra but now every time I look at Rose, I see Cassandra - who was a horrible, horrible person…I need to re-watch Charmed season 4 onwards to remind me of Paige instead of Cassandra. I did like the 'NO' she yelled at the end of the episode, though. Very demonic like. First thing about her on that episode that reminded me of her Charmed days.

Sorry for the long non-story related rant. This next one isn't the most exciting parts of the episode, IMO, but I promise the next one will come faster and is more intriguing. Please, read this next part and feel free to review and tell me your thoughts.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

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><p>After dropping Bella off in front of her school – where Bella had practically rush out of the car before it had stopped moving, muttering under her breath about how if she was able to control her power, she'd have ran all the way and would've made it faster than a car – Piper had turned the car around to head for Quake.<p>

On the way to the restaurant, however, Piper had passed by the church she and her sisters had attended quite regularly when they were younger. Bella hadn't gone to church at all considering Grams wasn't a particularly religious person but when Mom had still been alive, she'd urged Prue, Piper and Phoebe to attend church because of their father Victor and his beliefs.

It was something Grams scoffed at a lot. She believed that if you said a prayer at the table during Thanksgiving and attended Christmas mass, you were in God's good graces enough.

Without even really noticing her actions, Piper had slowed down and pulled the car to a stop in front of the church. She bit her lip, gazing up at the towering building.

She didn't know if she had followed everything the Bible said but she knew that she hadn't been as skeptical as Prue or as dismissive as Phoebe. While her older sister would question everything in the Bible, Phoebe tended not to pay any attention at all. Piper paid just the right amount of attention. She prayed more than twice a year and though she didn't live like a nun, she still had faith in God and His will.

With everything that had happened in the past week, Piper had been thinking more and more about her life, her new power and what this meant for her soul and her destiny. She had a feeling receiving their powers affected her the most; Prue was still in denial and Phoebe and Bella were having too much fun.

Piper, on the other hand, couldn't help but worry.

She worried about where her powers came from, she worried that she and her sisters would end up as evil as Jeremy had been someday, she worried about the warlocks Jeremy had warned them about and what would happen when they showed up, she worried she would never be able to control her powers and would start the witch hunt 2.0…She worried about everything.

Staring up at the big church, she wondered if God – the same God her father had believed in, and the same God she had faith in for most of her life – would look down on her for having these powers and using them.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice her pastor walking up to her car until he knocked on the window. Jumping out of her skin, Piper turned around and glanced fearfully at her intruder before relaxing at the familiar face.

Her tensed muscles relaxing, she gave pastor Williams a nervous smile. "Pastor Williams," she breathed in relief. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," pastor Williams said with a friendly, apologetic smile and a nod of his head. "Aren't you a little too early?" he asked. At Piper's confused expression, he clarified, "Dropping off the unused food from the restaurant? I thought you weren't coming by until this afternoon?"

"I am," Piper replied quickly. "I mean, I'm coming back with everything…"

"Great." Pastor Williams stared at her questioningly, "So what are you doing here now?"

"Nothing really. Just, uh, just thinking," she answered vaguely.

Sensing that there was something bothering the young woman – and not that she was a very convincing liar to begin with, if he remembered correctly – pastor Williams pressed forward. "About?" he prompted gently.

Piper shrugged. "Mary Estee," she answered despondently, remembering the tale of the girl in the documentary. She cringed remembering Mary Estee's fate and wondered morbidly if that would ever happen to her and her sisters.

Pastor Williams' eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. "Who?" he asked, bewildered, almost laughingly.

Piper shook her head. "Ah, it's just a stupid documentary I saw," she said dismissively, smiling sheepishly at him. She didn't want her old pastor to think she was obsessed with the supernatural. She really had no business even thinking about it. She wouldn't ever had if it hadn't been for Phoebe reading that incantation and suddenly turning their whole worlds around.

_Even though…_ Piper thought suddenly, an idea striking her. _Pastor Williams knows more about this than I do, I'd bet. He could tell me something…But how to phrase it so I don't accidentally expose our secret to him?_

"By the way," Piper started delicately, chuckling nervously as she addressed the man. "Is it true that evil beings can't go into a church without being…" Piper gestured with her hands and hissed to mimic someone being hit by lightning.

Pastor Williams laughed and though Piper didn't find it funny at all, she laughed right along with him. "Evil beings?" he asked. "You mean, like what? Vampires?"

"Vampires," Piper laughed on an anxious scoff. "No…I was thinking more along the lines of witches." _Please don't let him catch on, please don't let him catch on_, she pleaded silently.

"Witches, huh?" Pastor Williams shook his head, wondering why sweet Piper Halliwell was wondering such a thing_. Maybe she's 'experimenting' with things and is confused about her path in life. Or maybe she knows someone like that. Better to put this to rest before it escalates from mere questions…_ "Let me put it to you this way. I sure wouldn't wanna risk it," he warned, hoping this was enough to help her.

Checking his watch, pastor Williams sighed. He would've stayed longer if she needed him to, but he was late enough as it was. "I gotta go. I'll see you later?"

Piper nodded, shaking off the chill she felt down her spine as best as she could. "Yeah, right, absolutely," she promised, trying not to sound as shaky as she felt.

Piper watched as he left and the moment he entered through the church's door, she undid her seatbelt, pushed open her door and stepped out of the car. She walked across the street towards the church and climbed the stone steps towards the church's large front doors.

_Okay, this is it_, Piper thought to herself. _This would tell me if I'm really a good person. I mean, I helped destroy Jeremy – and evil being – didn't I? And, yes, technically I killed him but he killed so many women…I need to do this. I need to know_.

Taking in a deep breath, Piper reached one trembling hand towards the large ring door handle. Just as she was about to grasp it, her fingers hovering over the metal ring, a flash of lightning split across the sky and a crash of thunder startled her enough to send her spinning on her heel and rushing back to her car.

* * *

><p>Prue kept her phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder as she pulled her car into a parking space in the visitor's lot at Buckland's Auction House. She smiled as Bella recounted the 'horror' of the job interview she'd just come from.<p>

"It was, literally, the poorest stocked bookstore I'd ever seen," Bella complained from the other end. "I have more books than they do."

Prue stifled a laugh. "Bella, that can be said about most people," she said dryly. "Your love for reading is borderline obsessive."

"Yeah," Bella sighed, frustrated. "But that's not supposed to apply to bookstores, Prue. I mean, their classic lit section consisted of one copy of Moby Dick and a few Bronte's - I don't care what literary critics and romantics have to say, I still maintain that Wuthering Heights is one of the most depressing love story ever written. I think it's more of a pre-teen bookstore – a lot of Willy Wonka and Judy Blume's ."

Prue shook her head. "Bella, the point is to find a part-time job that pays you well enough and wouldn't interfere with your school or your extracurricular activities, remember?" she reminded her sister. "That's not an easy thing to do considering you spend so much time at the dojo. Just find what you can and as long as it doesn't hurt, then take it."

"It hurts my ego. Does that count?" Bella asked in a semi-disgusted tone.

"You're the one who's been complaining about your small allowance," Prue chided gently.

"There's a solution for that – raise my allowance," Bella almost pleaded.

Prue sighed. "Bella…" she warned. "Right now, the only person employed in our house is Piper and she's just started her job a week ago. We can't afford to raise your allowance."

Bella sighed. "Fine," she grumbled reluctantly. "But I'm not taking that job. The place was cramped and, for some reason, smells like spicy chicken. That's not how a bookstore should smell like."

Prue wrinkled her nose. "Alright, well, good luck job hunting," she said to Bella. "I have to go or I'm going to be late for my interview."

"At Buckland's?"

"Yeah," Prue replied distractedly as she got out of her car, juggling her phone, bag and portfolio as she moved to lock her car.

Bella hummed at the back of her throat. "So the interview you had in the morning before this didn't go well?" she guessed.

Prue sighed, slipping her car keys into her bag before slinging her bag straps over one shoulder. Cradling her portfolio to her body with her other arm, she walked towards the front entrance of the building, sighing in relief when she felt the cool air inside. "No, it didn't," she agreed. "It was for this small, two-person based gallery. And, you know, it's not even the size I'm worried about. It just…The pay sucked, the boss seemed like an ass and none of the artwork was original though they're trying to make it seem like it is. It was almost like having Roger as my boss again."

"So don't take the job," Bella said, as though it really was that simple.

"I might have to," Prue countered grimly. "I don't know why Buckland's called me but if this interview doesn't go well, I'm going to have to take the job at the gallery."

Bella sighed. "Prue, they called you because you kick ass," she said comfortingly. "And you're going to nail this interview because Halliwell women blow people away with our awesomeness."

Prue laughed.

"And even if you don't get it, that doesn't mean you have to settle for a job you hate. You've only been looking for a week," Bella reminded her.

Prue smiled slightly. "Right back at you," she said, referring to Bella's dislike of the bookstore she'd gone for an interview at and silently giving support for Bella's decision not to take the job there.

Catching sight of a clock hung on a wall in the lobby, Prue sucked in a deep breath. "Oh, oh, okay, I'm late," she said hurriedly into the phone, looking around for the elevator. "I'm late for my interview. Listen, I'll talk to you later. I've got to go."

"Okay. Good luck," Bella said, before the line went dead.

Prue flipped her phone shut and stuffed her cell into her bag before rushing towards the elevators. One of the elevators was open though, as she ran towards it, it started to close. "Hold the doors!" she called out.

Rushing as fast as she could in her heels, Prue managed to make it just in time before the door slid completely close. She slipped inside though the jolt made her drop her bag in her haste and her things fell out of the bag since it hadn't been zipped shut. "Damn it," she cursed.

Bending down, she started to retrieve her things and place them back in her bag. Looking up briefly, she saw a man with light brown hair and in a blue shirt and jeans. Speaking out, she asked hurriedly, "Could you push 'twelve' please?"

The man did as she requested then bent down to help her with her things. "Here, let me help," he offered, gathering a few of her things off the floor and handing them to her. As he grabbed her note cards from the floor, his eyes caught a few words written on the paper. "18th century French art…Do you work in the auction house upstairs?"

"No, just interviewing, if I ever get there in time," Prue corrected him, taking her note cards back from him. "Don't let me get my King Louis' mixed up."

Her cell phone rang, effectively ending their short conversation. Thinking it was Bella again or another one of her sisters, Prue reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Unable to recognize the number flashing across the screen, she frowned and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Prue, it's me," she heard and froze.

"Uh…Andy," she said nervously. "How did you get this number?"

"I'm a detective, remember?" Andy replied, swerving to avoid answering her question straight up – he didn't think she'd be too impressed if he found out he'd used his cop connections to get her contact information – and cut straight to the chase, "Prue, I think we should talk."

"Yeah, it's just that I'm really late for this interview…"

"I didn't mean for what happened last night to happen, Prue. You have to know that," Andy pleaded.

_God, just how loud is the volume on this thing?_ Prue wondered silently. Catching a look from one or two of the many occupants in the elevator, Prue groaned internally. She had no doubt the others around her could hear Andy's end of the conversation.

Trying to keep the rest of her dignity, Prue continued in a chirpy voice, pretending as though he wasn't practically telling an elevator full of people they'd had sex last night. "Of course, I'm, you know, totally wrong for it, anyway; stuffy old auction house…I don't know why they even called," she babbled on nervously, completely missing the look on the face of the stranger who had helped her earlier.

"Come on, Prue," misinterpreting her deflection as her way of ignoring what had happened the night before. "Listen to me. We've known each other for a _long_ time. We just couldn't help ourselves. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Prue closed her eyes, sighing. _So much for dignity_, she thought. "I know, Andy," she said in a quiet, meaningful tone.

He didn't catch her tone, however, and continued much to her embarrassment, "All we did was make love."

"I _know_, Andy," she repeated through gritted teeth. The knowing looks from the others in the room had become more prominent and she could even see some of them trying not to laugh out loud.

"Talk to me…Help me out here, Prue," he pleaded softly. "Why'd you sneak out like that?"

_Oh, great_, Prue thought sarcastically, her ears burning hotly as she heard someone stifling their snickers as they heard his words.

"I did not sneak…" Realizing that she might be getting a little too loud for someplace so crowded yet so tightly enclosed, she lowered her voice. "Out. Right, you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you. And I _did_ write you a note, I just didn't leave it…"

The phone crackled with static all of a sudden, and Prue could hear heavy silence on the other end. "Hello?" she frowned. "Hello!"

Knowing that either Andy had hung up on her or the call had been disconnected due to all that static earlier, Prue closed her cell phone and placed it back in her bag.

Looking up, she could see the knowing, amused leers from the people around her. _And just my luck, I'm the only woman in this elevator_, she commented to herself. _Look at that – they're not even trying to hide their amusement!_

Feeling more than a little embarrassed and indignant, Prue stared at the buttons at the top of the elevator. The button with the number '7' glowed, the elevator halting and the door dinging as it started to slide open.

Still feeling angry and humiliated at the turn of events, not to mention worried at how late she was getting for her interview, Prue made a split second decision. _It's not like it's going to harm anyone_, she bargained with her more rational side. _All I'm going to do is get the elevator moving faster to my floor…_

Squinting her eyes at the buttons on top of the elevator, she felt the power pulsing beneath her eyelids and throbbing in her mind, like an almost-migraine.

The metal door slid shut before it even really opened, and the elevator was moving up once more.

"Hey!" one of the men in the elevator protested angrily, pushing at the 'door open' button in a futile attempt to get the door open. "It missed my floor!"

Prue continued to stare, eyes narrowed, at the buttons, seeing each number between '7' and '12' glow orange before the elevator finally stopped, the doors sliding open fully. She smiled, satisfied by her little payback and a little smug that she had control over her power like that.

"That was strange," the stranger who had helped her earlier, and consequently laughed at her a few minutes later, commented. Turning to her, he said, "Lucky you, huh?"

Prue jerked her head to the side briefly. "Yeah, I'm charmed, alright," she murmured, stalking out of the elevator before anyone could get suspicious.

_Moment of satisfaction over – I can't believe I pulled such a Carrie move_, Prue grumbled to herself as she walked towards the receptionist area of the auction house.

Trying her best to shake off her unusual elevator ride, Prue gave the receptionist the biggest fake smile she could manage. "Excuse me. Hi, I'm Prue Halliwell. I'm here for an interview with Rex Buckland?"

The receptionist, who already had her ear pressed to her office phone, held up a finger to indicate she wanted Prue to wait for a moment. "Yes, I'll patch you through right now, sir," the receptionist said into the phone. She pressed a button, waited a beat then hung up to give whoever it was on the other end some privacy for their call.

Looking up, the receptionist gave Prue a too-sunny smile that made her just a tad uncomfortable. "Yes, may I help you?" she asked, clearly having not heard Prue the first time around.

Prue nodded. "I'm here for my interview with Rex Buckland," she informed the receptionist.

Nodding her head, she said, "Yes, we've been expecting you. Head down the hall and to your right. Jenna, Mr. Buckland's secretary, will take you to his office."

Prue thanked the woman and followed her directions. It wasn't easy to miss Jenna's desk. Giving her a brief smile, Prue repeated the same thing she had said to the receptionist.

Jenna's eyes lit up in recognition when Prue mentioned her appointment with Rex Buckland. "Give me a moment," Jenna told her, and proceeded to call her boss to inform him of her arrival.

"Am I late for the interview?" Prue asked Jenna anxiously. She'd hate to make a bad first impression on her possible new boss.

"He just arrived, actually," Jenna assured as she led Prue down the hallway, most of it bare with the floors covered in white sheets, a few paintings that remained covered in protective plastic and cans of paint scattered here and there. Seeing the frown still on Prue's face, Jenna laughed lightly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. He's seen your resume and is very impressed. I gotta tell you, it's already blown out six other applicants."

Prue smiled slightly in pride though her confusion over getting the call requesting her to come down to the auction house for an interview made her ask, "I still don't know why he's interested. I never even applied."

"He likes what you did at the museum," Jenna answered. "Even though your ex-boss thrashed you…What's Roger got against you, anyway?"

_Oh, where to begin?_ Prue thought sarcastically. "Hard to say," she said, smiling as she thought of how she'd left him hanging when she'd quit – professionally and personally. "Unless shattering his male ego counts for something…" At Jenna's confused look, Prue elaborated, "He's also my ex-fiancé."

Jenna nodded understandingly. "Got it," she smiled in sympathy. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

Jenna opened the door to Buckland's office and spoke aloud to introduce the two, "Rex Buckland, this is Prue Halliwell, interviewing for the new specialist."

Prue was shocked when the man standing in the office facing away from them spun around. It was the man who had helped her earlier in the elevator, only he was dressed in a suit instead of his casual blue shirt and jeans from before. He had clearly just changed as he was still tying his tie as Jenna spoke.

"Actually, we've already met," Rex Buckland, her potential new boss, said as he locked eyes with Prue. "Welcome to my stuffy old auction house."

Jenna's eyebrows furrowed together. "What?" she asked confusedly.

"Don't worry about it, Jenna," Rex said dismissively. "Please close the door on your way out. Miss Halliwell and I should really get started on our interview."

Jenna nodded, smiling encouragingly at Prue as Prue stepped into the room. Prue returned her smile with one of fake confidence and enthusiasm. Once the door shut behind her, Prue turned to Rex. "Mr. Buckland…I apologize for…"

Rex interrupted her before she could finish. "No need, Miss Halliwell," he said, gesturing towards his desk. "Have a seat," he offered as he sat behind his desk.

Prue sat down on the chair opposite Rex, no less nervous that she had been in her car before her interview. She sat watching Rex peruse through her resume. He quietly asked her a few questions about her experiences before this, her education and the likes and she answered just as quietly.

"How many exhibitions did you correct?" Rex asked, finally lifting his head from her resume in front of him to look at her.

"Seven, including the Carlton estate," Prue answered immediately. Not wanting him to miss anything about her qualifications that might help her get a job, she added, "It should be on my resume," hoping he might take a second look at what was listed.

He peered at the papers in front of him. "Franklin Carlton…That's quite a coup," he praised.

"Well, I tend to be on the persistent side. I usually get what I want."

"A no doubter," Rex nodded. Leaning back against his desk chair, he linked his hands together and stared at her with an almost amused half-smile on his face. "It's a shame, though, that you think you're – how did you put it in the elevator – 'totally wrong for the job'?"

_Oh, I knew that was going to come back and bite me in the ass_, Prue thought sulkily. "That was a private phone conversation," she protested firmly.

"Hardly," Rex quipped.

Prue turned her head away for a moment. _This has shot straight to hell_, she grimaced. _I think it's best to leave now - first impressions are important and it's obvious his first impression of me isn't impressive at all_.

Standing up, Prue grabbed her bag, sighing. "You called me, remember?" she pointed out to Rex as she faced him once more. "Not the other way around. And while we're at it, I think it's incredibly unfair that you eavesdropped on a private call and then judge me based entirely on what you thought you heard!"

Rex nodded, her offended rant causing him to backtrack a few steps. "I apologize," he held up his hand to defend himself. "It was unfair of me…"

Standing from his seat, Rex circled his desk to make his way to where she had risen from her seat. He stood opposite her, their bodies turned to one another as he spoke. "I'm new at all this. I've only just taken over the house from my father, so I'm very protective of it," he explained himself.

He sat on the edge of his desk, eyes still locked on hers. "But, you know, I liked what you did at the museum, attracting the younger market…It's totally consistent with what I want to do here."

_I feel a 'but' coming on_, Prue thought. Despite the dread she felt at how horrible the interview was going, she kept her calm on the outside the way she always did.

Leveling Prue with an almost apologetic stare, Rex continued, "It's just…With all these qualifications aside, it's very important to me that whoever I hire truly wants to be here."

Before Prue could defend herself, an intercom beep was heard. Rex turned to the phone on his desk and pressed the button to speak to his receptionist, "Yep."

"Excuse me, Mr. Buckland," the receptionist's voice was heard through the intercom. "Your next interview is waiting. Should I reschedule him?"

_It's nice to know she has so much faith in me_, Prue thought wryly.

"No, I think we're done here," Rex said, keeping his eyes on Prue, dismissing her with his words.

Prue nodded, taking the hint. She took her resume Rex was handing back to her, stuffing them back into her portfolio case. "Well, thanks for your time," she said. Shaking Rex's hand one last time, she turned and headed for the door.

_Halliwell women blow people away with our awesomeness_, Bella's voice rang through Prue's mind as she walked away. _Even if Bella is a 'little' self-centered at times, her confidence didn't stem from nowhere_.

Taking a deep breath, Prue spun around on her heel and faced Rex once more. _I'm not going down without a fight_, she thought fiercely. "My area of expertise ranges from Ming Dynasty to a Mark McGwire rookie baseball card. You name it – I can identify it. Now, I may not have sought the job originally but I _do_ want it. And I'm _definitely_ right for it," Prue said to a slightly surprised Rex.

_I think I said all I needed to_, Prue said, walking out of Rex's office. _At least if I don't get the job, I was at least memorable…_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Hi! First and foremost, I wanted to thank those who reviewed. Last chapter was the least reviewed chapter of this story and I can only assume that's because there was a lack of Bella and I pretty much followed the original story most of last chapter. I wasn't a big fan of last chapter, either. There's more Bella here so I hope you guys will like it better.

Just a side note: I was going through my notes for this story and a thought struck me. Do you know an episode of season 1 that I REALLY can't wait to get to? 'The Fourth Sister'. Aviva annoyed the hell outta me and I can't wait for Bella to whip her whiny ass…Sorry. I've always been irritated by the character. I just needed a mini rant…It's over now.

P.S. Someone mentioned to me that Rose McGowan HAD to get surgery because of a car accident. Well, I had absolutely no idea and I'm very sorry for my comment last chapter. I was just shocked by how much her physical appearance had changed. I still love her, though. On the bright side, I've got my Paige-groove back.

Please, read this next part and feel free to review and tell me your thoughts.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>"Phoebe! Thank God you're here!"<p>

Phoebe stiffened, startled, when Piper ambushed her the moment she stepped into Quake. "Piper, what's wrong?" she asked as Piper dragged her further into the crowded restaurant. "You called and you sounded so panicked…"

Piper nodded. "I need help," she admitted. "I didn't want to bother you again – you've been helping me out here almost every day since I started. I called Bella first, and she came after her job interviews but she's been flirting non-stop with Javier the bartender instead of helping me so now I'm out a sick waitress, a sister and a bartender."

Phoebe cracked a teasing smile at Piper. "Did they all walk into a bar?" she joked.

Piper threw her a dirty glare. "That's not funny," she bit out. Grabbing a couple of menus from the counter, she handed them to Phoebe. "Look, just start out with the menus, okay?" she pleaded.

Phoebe sighed, nodding. "Don't worry, I've got it," she said to Piper. "You go back to…Whatever it is you were doing."

Piper rolled her eyes. "I _was_ telling Bella to stop flirting and distracting my bartender," she said. "She called me a nag and shoved her tongue down his throat."

Phoebe chuckled. "Okay, well…Have fun," she called out perkily.

She went around the restaurant, giving out menus and taking orders from customers. She passed by Bella sitting at the bar a few times and it seemed as though, in the short time that Piper had chided her and left to call Phoebe, Bella had moved on from Javier and was now laughing heartily at something a young man Phoebe had never seen before was saying.

_Seems like she's having fun_, Phoebe thought to herself, silently laughing as she watched the young, college-aged man stared at Bella, looking pretty awestruck by her.

"Excuse me?"

Phoebe turned around to find herself looking at a young redheaded woman sitting at the other end of the bar. "Yes? May I help you?" she smiled.

The woman smiled. "May we get our bill?" she asked. "My boyfriend will be back any minute now and we're about ready to leave…"

Phoebe nodded. "Sure, I'll be right back," she promised.

By the time Phoebe had gotten back to the bar with their bill, the woman's boyfriend had joined her, seated right next to her. _Hey, he looks kind of familiar_, Phoebe thought to herself, examining his profile. She couldn't quite place where she'd seen him before and he wasn't looking at her so she couldn't really tell.

Phoebe smiled at the both of them as she stepped up to them, interrupting their conversation. "Here you go," she said, extending the check holder towards them.

"Thank you," the man replied, turning his head to smile at her as he took the check holder.

Now that she could see his face clearly, it was easy to place him. Halting in her steps, Phoebe asked excitedly, "Excuse me, but aren't you Stefan?"

Stefan, the man, nodded, "Yes." He seemed happy to be recognized by a beautiful woman, even if he had no idea how she knew him. Narrowing his eyes at her playfully, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

"Oh, highly doubtful," Phoebe grinned, a little overwhelmed to be talking to a celebrity. A quick glance at the pretty redhead girlfriend told Phoebe that she wasn't happy another woman was paying so much attention to her boyfriend. "I'm just familiar with your work, like everyone else in the world."

Stefan smiled and ducked his head. "Well, I don't know about that," he said, modest for someone who was a renowned, up-and-coming fashion photographer. Phoebe caught his eye assessing her appreciatively. "But I'll always take a compliment from a _gorgeous_ woman."

Phoebe, despite her reddened cheeks from the flattery coming from a famous person, looked pointedly at the fuming redhead next to Stefan. "I'm sure your girlfriend must appreciate that," she quipped.

"She's not my girlfriend," Stefan whispered.

Phoebe leaned forward slightly to whisper back, "Then why are you whispering?"

The redhead stood up from her seat, scowling. "Excuse me," she said angrily, stalking past Phoebe and Stefan.

"Ooh, ooh, okay," Phoebe said, leaning back as the woman brushed past her. "Well, it was really nice meeting you," she said to Stefan, hoping she hadn't helped ruin anything for the two of them.

"You too," Stefan replied. Just as she turned to leave, Stefan called out to her, "Listen…" When she turned back around to face him, he told her, "Listen, I'm in town for a couple of days doing a Porsche shoot. If you're interested, stop by. I would love to photograph you…"

Seeing the gob smacked expression on her face, he asked, "You _do_ model, don't you?"

She adopted a mock serious expression and spoke in a teasingly somber tone, "In my dreams, yeah."

The two shared a laugh as Stefan grabbed a napkin from the counter and pulled a pen from his coat pocket to write the address for the photo shoot down. He handed it to her. "Here you go," he smiled. "Just show up tomorrow by eleven, latest, and I'll put you in my shoot."

Phoebe opened her mouth to thank him but she was interrupted by Bella coming up to her side. "Hey, Piper's freaking out again," she said to Phoebe. "I don't know about you but I think she should quit. She's beginning to break out and it is _not_ pretty."

Stefan did a double take when he saw Bella. "And who is this?" he asked, intrigued, his eyes never straying from her face.

_And why would he look away? God, what does beauty have to do with Agility, anyway?_ Phoebe thought enviously. She clutched the napkin a little tighter to her chest, some of her usual self-confidence a little diminished by Stefan's interest in Bella.

"This is my _little_ sister, Bella," Phoebe said, putting emphasis on the word 'little'.

Stefan didn't seem to catch her sudden cool attitude. "Oh? Well, good genes seem to run in the family, I see," Stefan commented, his eyes roving over Bella's facial features before his gaze dropped to her body next. "And how old is she?" he asked.

"'_She'_ is standing right here," Bella said, her tone as icy as the glare she sent Stefan. "And I can speak for myself."

Phoebe's eyes grew wide at Bella's attitude. Her youngest sister had a temper that even Prue tended to avoid most days, and she knew Bella had no problem blowing up at a total stranger if she felt like she was being mistreated or offended in any way. Normally, Piper was the one who had a problem with Bella's tactlessness. Phoebe usually found it funny. However, this was _Stefan_ they were talking about.

"Bella," she whispered through gritted teeth. "That's Stefan, the fashion photographer. You remember him? They did an article on him just last month. He's famous."

Bella seemed less than impress. "Is that supposed to make it okay for him to speak as though I'm not capable of understanding simple English?" she retorted, arms crossed over her chest.

Phoebe, grimacing, turned to Stefan. "I'm really sorry," she apologized. "She's just very…Opinionated. And feministic."

Stefan smiled, not finding Bella's attitude offensive to him at all. "No, that's okay," he assured Phoebe, eyes fixed on Bella the whole time. "You have a lot of self-confidence."

"That's one word for it," Phoebe muttered under her breath.

Bella didn't say anything though she met Stefan's eyes without flinching. "I like that," Stefan admitted with a friendly smile. "You're also a very beautiful girl, Bella…Tell me, how old are you?"

"Fifteen," Bella shrugged.

Stefan didn't seem bothered by her young age. "I've had models younger than you before," he said. "How would you like to join your sister for a photo shoot tomorrow?"

_Well, at least he's not asking for her to take my place completely_, Phoebe thought with a sigh of relief. _I can share_.

Instead of jumping at the offer, however, Bella placed one hand on her hip and cocked her hips to the side, a blasé scowl on her lips. "You know, I've been here for half an hour, just a few chairs away," Bella said, pointing to where she had been sitting before. "If you were interested, you'd have asked me already. I'm not anybody's second choice."

Stefan looked taken aback, both by her refusal and the icy fire behind her words. An awkward silence filled the air among the three of them for a few too-long moments before Phoebe broke it.

"So, we've gotta run," she said, gesturing towards herself and Bella and wrapping her arm around Bella's shoulders. "I guess I'll…See you tomorrow?" she asked Stefan, wanting to confirm that his earlier offer was still valid for her despite Bella's rudeness towards him.

_Please say 'yes'_, she pleaded silently.

Thankfully, as Stefan recovered from his shock, he didn't seem to be angry or insulted. Nodding, he offered Phoebe a half-smile. "Yes, definitely," he said. "See you then." He didn't look at Bella even once after her dismissal of him.

"Thanks!" Phoebe nodded, waved goodbye at him and steered Bella away from the bar, arm still hung around Bella's shoulders.

Once they were far enough away that Stefan wouldn't be able to hear them, Phoebe gave her a dirty glare. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she hissed at Bella. "He's a famous celebrity photographer who offered to turn us into models. Why would you act like that towards him? You were so rude!"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be such a Piper," she scoffed. "There is something off about that guy. Now, I don't care how famous he is, but I don't trust him."

Phoebe threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Ugh," she frowned. _I swear, Prue and Bella are two peas in a pod sometimes. Why are they so distrustful of people?_

Before she could berate Bella, Piper came up to the two of them, harried. "A driver just called in sick," she said in a rushed explanation, gripping Phoebe by the wrists desperately. "Can you two help me do a quick delivery?"

"Sure," Phoebe answered immediately.

"I have a price," Bella said.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Twenty bucks," she offered.

Bella scoffed. "What am I supposed to get with a twenty? That's like a day's worth of Starbucks," she pointed out.

"Thirty-five, and that's my final offer," Piper warned.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Piper as though to see whether she could call her bluff. Seeing that her older sister was serious, she nodded, sighing. "Fine," she accepted the deal.

"Your willingness to do something nice for your stressed out sister is touching, Bella, really," Piper commented sarcastically.

Phoebe waved her hand. "Oh, don't mind her. She's grumpy all around," Phoebe said dismissively. Not wanting to turn around and risk Stefan catching her staring like a drooling groupie, she asked Piper, "Is that guy at the bar staring at me? He might be staring at Bella, too, but she sort of yelled at him so…"

"I didn't _yell_ at him," Bella defended herself.

Piper looked briefly at the bar. "There are a lot of guys at the bar staring at you and Bella," she answered.

"The one at the far end," Phoebe elaborated. "Tall, dark, brooding…Very New York."

"Also might give off a 'creep vibe'," Bella interjected, causing Phoebe to swat at her arm.

Piper looked again. "Sorry, no," she replied hurriedly. "We've really got to go or we'll be late to the church which means we'll be late coming back which means I'll be…"

"Piper," Bella interrupted, slinging her arm around Piper's neck as they walked towards the exit. "You do remember how to breathe, don't you?"

Phoebe lagged behind as her sisters walked off. Turning around to look at the bar, she frowned when she saw that Stefan was no longer there.

* * *

><p>"I'm just saying you didn't have to be so rude to him," Phoebe said for the hundredth time. "It's probably why he left so quickly the moment we walked off."<p>

Bella rolled her eyes. Phoebe had said pretty much the same thing over and over again in a roundabout manner ever since they'd left the restaurant. "If I knew I'd be subjected to the torture of listening to Phoebe whine about her crush on that creepy photographer, I'd have bailed," she said aloud to no one in particular.

Phoebe turned around to glare at Bella from the passenger seat. "You're not even going to say you're sorry?" she asked incredulously.

"No," Bella said curtly. "Now that this is settled, let's move on."

Phoebe huffed, annoyed by Bella's attitude, and turned back around to face the front. She caught Piper's eye and the two of them started to smile, stifling their laughter. _God, was I this difficult when I was a teenager or is this Bella-specific?_ Phoebe shook her head.

"Piper, can't you talk to Prue about my curfew?" Bella asked. "It's embarrassing for me to go on my dates and have to bail early because my sister wants me home by ten thirty."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Bella, you have never once adhered to that curfew," she pointed out.

Bella waved her hand dismissively. "I only break curfew by less than two hours," she said. "Besides…Can you blame me? After dinner and whatever we decide to do after, it doesn't leave a lot of time for fun."

"Maybe you should skip the 'fun' until you're old enough not to have a curfew," Piper suggested, almost sarcastically.

Bella scoffed. "I'm old enough now," she folded her arms stubbornly across her chest. "Prue's just being stubborn."

Phoebe turned to look at her sisters in surprise. "Is the 'fun' we're talking about here 'sex'?"

Piper nodded silently while Bella went, "Duh, Phoebe, where have you been?"

"I knew it!" Phoebe whisper-yelled. "I knew you were having sex! When did all this start? You're fifteen, isn't that too young?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "When was _your_ first time?" she asked Phoebe sneeringly.

Phoebe paused, pursing her lips. "Well played," she said to Bella finally, who grinned triumphantly. "So you're…Having sex with the older guys you're dating?"

"No, Phoebe, of course not," Bella said in a mock soothing tone. "I go out with older guys because I think they can teach me chess strategies and talk to me about the philosophies of life."

Piper snorted.

"Is that even legal?" Phoebe frowned.

Piper shook her head. "Nope, but short of calling the cops and crying statutory rape, there's nothing Prue and I can do about Bella's choice in guys," she told Phoebe.

Bella crinkled her nose. "Ew, can you not put it like that?" she snapped at Piper. "That's so gross. I see, I like, I flirt, I get. Then, when I get bored, we break up. That's all there is to it. You and Prue need to get laid more often. It makes a person a little mellower."

Phoebe chuckled a little at the slightly affronted look on Piper's face at Bella's words. "Bella!" Piper hissed.

Bella shrugged, "Well, it's true…She's been uptight about pretty much everything since she and Roger broke up."

Piper pulled up in front of the church. "It's not like she was happy with him the last couple of months," she reminded Bella.

Bella shook her head. "That was because she found out what an asshole he is," she dismissed. "But when she thought he was an actually likeable guy, she was a little less Mother Dearest."

Phoebe stifled her laughter. "She's not Mother Dearest," she defended Prue. At Bella's raised eyebrow, she added, "…Much."

The three of them got out of the restaurant van, Bella scoffing as she slid the door to the backseat open. "Are you kidding?" she said to Phoebe. "Look at her now – she's so reserved, she can't even use her power. If that isn't bad enough, she's forbidding us to use them, too."

Piper blanched at Bella's words, though she tried to hide it as best as she could.

Bella's and Phoebe's confidence that their powers came from good and were meant for good didn't assure her any. In fact, if anything, it made her more anxious. They were so eager to use their supernatural gifts, so excited about them, that it clouded their judgment.

As for Piper…She was just trying to get through the day without panicking and freezing anything, terrified that the inevitable bad would happen and turn her world into a crumbling mess.

"She's right in doing that," Piper stood by her older sister.

Phoebe and Bella shared an incredulous look. "No, she's not," Phoebe argued.

"These powers are our birthright, Piper," Bella said in agreement. "They're something our ancestors used to save innocents from evil, and that's something we're expected to do as well. And the rush…You know, if the first warlock we vanquished wasn't your ex-boyfriend, and if Prue wasn't so Prue-ish, you two would see that, too."

Turning to Phoebe, she sing-sang, "What'd I say? They need to get laid."

Phoebe laughed. "Well, if that's the case then you'd think after last night, Prue would be a lot mellower," she pointed out to Bella as the three of them begun taking out the food from the back of the van. "I mean, how long had it been before? Six months? And she's _worse_."

Piper sighed. "It's just so un-Prue-like to have sex on the first date," she worried. She was concerned that not only had their lives changed with the arrival of their powers, but so had their personalities and the sense of who they were. She added, "I mean, everything's changing since we've become…_You know_."

"Piper, Prue having sex with Andy on the first date isn't because we're different now," Bella assured her in an exasperated tone of voice. "It's because they haven't seen each other in, like, seven years and they obviously still have the hots for one another. That's not supernatural. It's just passion."

Piper sighed. "I guess," she said, unconvinced. _Prue's having sex on first dates, Bella's turning into a succubus…God, wonder what'll happen to me and Phoebe…Ugh, I don't even wanna know_, she thought miserably.

Phoebe shook her head at Piper's almost morose expression. "Come on, you've never had sex on the first date?" she asked, trying to make her see that this was all a normal, perfectly _natural_, human act and not some sort of magic-related thing she needed to worry about.

"No," she answered immediately. Seeing the looks on Bella's and Phoebe's faces, she asked, "Have you?" The looks the two of them shared were enough to answer her question. "Never mind, don't answer that."

Bella laughed, smiling widely as she handed another aluminum tray of food off.

"Well, it's not a regular thing," Phoebe defended herself. "Of course, now that I'm a witch, I can see if it's gonna be any good or not before it actually…"

Noticing an elderly man standing behind her, gaping at her in shock, she smiled. "Hi," she said, handing him the tray of lasagna she was carrying.

He walked off without a word.

"Uh…You're welcome?" Bella called out after him, sarcasm dripping heavily from each word.

"What's the matter with you?" Piper hissed at Phoebe once the man was out of hearing distance. "Are you out of your mind?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. It's not like he took me literally," she said defensively.

"You don't know that," Piper said worriedly. "He could've. I just think we need to be extra careful – in bed and out."

"No, thanks," Bella replied immediately. At Piper's look, she quipped, "Careful isn't fun."

"Bella…" Piper sighed. "We don't know if who we're around are really who they are, okay? I mean, for all we know, my sous chef is a warlock and, for all we know, the guy you've just met isn't trying to get you into bed but is trying to kill you!"

"We've known Andy forever," Bella pointed out.

Piper shook her head. "That's not good enough," she argued. "I thought I knew Jeremy and look how he turned out! I-it's just better if we stay away from other people for a while."

Phoebe and Bella exchanged concerned looks. "Okay, well, there's 'careful' and then there's 'paranoid'," Phoebe said gently. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Piper paused. Looking down at her clipboard, she asked nervously, "Talk about what?"

Phoebe would've pressed for more, even if Piper didn't look like she was ready to talk quite yet, but they were interrupted when pastor Williams walked up to them. "Hey, Phoebe," he smiled. "I didn't know you were back in town."

Phoebe smiled fondly at her old pastor. "Hey," she greeted, giving him a hug.

"Say goodbye to the Big Apple, did you?" Pastor Williams grinned.

"Oh, I ate the worm," Phoebe joked, laughing. Feeling her mouth dry up a little, she grabbed her purse from where she had stashed it at the back of the van. "Hey, I'm gonna go get some gum. Do you guys want anything?" she asked the others.

"No, thanks," Pastor Williams answered.

Piper shook her head but Bella said, "Could you get me some chocolate? I don't know why but I've gotten addicted to it recently…God, I'm gonna get so fat."

Phoebe laughed but nodded. "Sure, babe. Be right back," she kissed Bella on the cheek. "It was good to see you," she said to Pastor Williams, giving him another hug.

"You, too," he replied as she pulled away.

She waved to all three of the others and walked off in the direction of the newsstand she'd seen on the drive up to the church.

Bella, catching sight of something she liked, brightened up. "I see a cute churchgoer," she announced to Piper and the pastor. "I'm gonna go flirt it up. You okay here?" she asked Piper.

Piper smile to herself. "Yeah, sure," she murmured. "Don't be too late, though."

"Uh-huh," Bella said distractedly, probably having not heard Piper in the first place.

She walked off towards the handsome guy who was just exiting the church with an older man she assumed was his brother. All she had to do was walk by him, give him a flirty grin and an extra sway of her hips, and he had bid his brother goodbye and approached her, a charming smile spread on his lips.

Pastor Williams laughed as he watched Bella. "She's still as full of life as the last time I saw her," he said, turning back to face Piper.

Piper nodded, smiling slightly. "Full of life," she repeated. "That's one way to put it…"

Pastor Williams caught the same anxious look in Piper's eyes. Sensing that she was still worried about whatever it was that had her parked outside the church that morning, he gave her a patient look.

Piper caught his look and tried to act nonchalant for a moment. She could still feel his burning stare even when her eyes were directed at her clipboard. _Oh, what the hell?_ She thought, bringing her clipboard down. "Okay, here's the deal," she said briskly. "I got this friend. Has a little problem – could be bad. Not quite sure what to tell her."

Pastor Williams nodded. "You wanna go inside?" he offered, wanting her to be comfortable if they were going to have a long discussion.

"No," Piper protested immediately. She didn't want to be struck by lightning if she stepped foot inside the church. She didn't know it was a sure thing but it was definitely a distinct possibility.

Seeing the surprised look on pastor William's face at her outburst, she tried to smooth things over. "I mean, I've gotta get going," she explained.

_Please don't ask me why I'm acting like such a nut case_, she pleaded silently.

Thankfully, pastor Williams seemed to move on from her blip easily. "So what's the problem?" he inquired, referring to her 'friend'.

"Well…" she hesitated. _Come on, Piper_, she urged herself. _You need someone to talk to. Just be vague enough that he won't think it's you you're talking about_. "She kinda, sort of thinks she might be…A witch."

"Witches again, huh?" pastor Williams said, remembering Piper's question from earlier in the morning.

"Not a good thing, is it?" Piper asked knowingly.

Pastor Williams tilted his head to the side. "Certainly not a question I get every day," he commented. He gazed down at the troubled-looking young woman in front of him and sighed. "How well do you remember Sunday school lessons? I suggest 22:18 – thou shall not suffer a witch to live."

Piper frowned. "Meaning…?" she prompted.

"If you go by the old school, it means put her to death," pastor Williams said. Delivering Piper's worst nightmare, his tone was grim, "She's evil."

Piper stared at him, trying her best to contain her horror. Pastor Williams seem to get how rattled she had gotten and reached out to touch Piper's shoulder. "Piper…Are you alright?"

"Uhm…" Piper blinked a few times, dropping her gaze and trying to school her features into a more genial expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay. I…"

They were interrupted by Bella walking up to them. "Hey, Piper," she said cheerfully. "Pastor Williams, you're still here? Wow, you guys have a lot to talk about, huh?"

Bella's suspicious, narrowed-eyed gaze went over pastor William's head but Piper caught it no problem. "No, not at all," she smiled weakly, unconvincingly. "I just had a…Question. But I'm good now."

"_Right_," Bella drawled, prolonging the word.

Piper shook her head as though to clear it. "You ready to go?" she asked.

Bella's smile was back in place. "Yeah, but not with you," she said.

"Huh?"

Bella looked over her shoulder and Piper followed her gaze to see a guy in his mid-twenties sitting in a convertible, its top down. "That's Mitch," she said, wriggling her fingers in Mitch's direction. Mitch grinned wider, waving back. "He's taking me to a late lunch."

Piper stared at her. "You already ate," she pointed out.

Bella snorted. "For a guy that hot, I'm _starving_," she countered.

Piper frowned, shaking her head. "No, Bella, you've only met this guy five minutes ago – literally," she protested.

"Relax, we're going to Quake," Bella assured Piper. "We'll just be taking his car instead of the van…"

When Piper still looked reluctant, Bella sighed, "Would you stop? Martial arts expert here, remember? I could totally take him down if I need to." Leaning in, she whispered to her sister so the pastor wouldn't be able to hear anything, "Besides, I don't sense him being evil."

"Yeah, but…" Piper trailed off unsurely.

Bella's gut wasn't a definite thing to go by and Piper was feeling just a tad too suspicious of everyone lately to be okay with letting her younger sister go off with some stranger, even for just a few minutes. She'd never forgive herself if she allowed it and something bad happened to Bella.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm bringing you business. You should be thanking me, not making me look uncool in front of the hot guy," she chided Piper gently. She gave Piper a loud, smacking kiss on the cheek. "Meet you at Quake!" she called out and turned to leave for Mitch's car. "Bye, pastor Williams!"

Piper shook her head. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized, giving pastor Williams a small smile. "Thank you, though, for talking to me…"

Pastor Williams nodded. "Sure, of course. You know I'm here for you if you need anything," he smiled at her kindly. "I hope I helped."

She nodded. "Yes, you did," she lied. _Now I know I'm evil and that if anyone ever found out, I'd be sentenced to death_, she thought. _Great_.

The two of them bid goodbye.

Piper headed back to the van, her watchful eyes taking in Bella as she slipped into the passenger seat of Mitch's convertible and greeted him with a kiss to the cheek. Mitch's eyes lit up at her touch and they exchanged a few words Piper couldn't make out before Mitch drove off.

Sighing, Piper slid into the driver's seat of the van and waited for Phoebe to come back. _Great_, she grumbled to herself. _Now I'm worried about Bella going off with some stranger, and I'm a hundred times more worried than I was before about being a witch_.

She was still staring anxiously out her window when Phoebe returned. She turned to look at her younger sister as she slipped into her seat, her frown deepening in confusion at Phoebe's blatant happiness.

"Ready? Let's go," Phoebe said, beaming widely. "Where's Bella?"

"She hitched a ride to Quake with a cute guy." Piper raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you smiling about?" she asked.

Phoebe gave her a sly look. "Nothing," she answered vaguely.

Piper shook her head. _I don't have the time or energy for this_, she sighed. Leaving Phoebe be, she stepped on the gas and drove, wanting to make it back to the restaurant as soon as possible to keep an eye out on the crowd and the staff - and on Bella.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hey guys. I'm so sorry for the delay - I got sick these past few days (acute bronchitis) and couldn't really muster up any energy to update anything. I'm a little better now and thought I'd better post this next part lest I get worse again.

Thank you SO much for those who reviewed last chapter. You made my day.

Please, read this next part and feel free to review and tell me your thoughts.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Prue sighed as she walked into Quake. She had just returned from her time alone at the bridge where she'd gone to wind down after her interview at Buckland's and, almost seven hours after the horrific interview, she was still cringing at how badly it had went down. Obsessing over every part of her time at Buckland's, she kept going over every single detail from start to finish, beginning with the nightmarishly embarrassing phone call from Andy.<p>

She started when she heard Piper's voice to her right. "Cindy, come on, your salmon's up. Hector, way behind – we need clean plates," Piper called out to the other employees under her supervision.

Prue steered and walked in her direction by the swinging kitchen door. She grabbed Piper by the wrist and turned her around to face her to get her attention. Grasping Piper's hands in hers, she fixed Piper with an almost desperate stare. "You didn't give Andy my cell phone number by any chance, did you?" she asked Piper, knowing how much she encouraged Prue reconnecting with Andy.

Piper and Phoebe were both eager for Prue to date him. Only Bella seemed a little distant when it came to Andy, feeling like it wasn't prudent to go out with him so soon. She was fine with casual dating but Prue had a much larger connection with Andy. Bella felt like this could be another potential Jeremy situation, only much worse.

Prue had reminded her of Andy's past with the family, but Bella hadn't been convinced. 'How much do we even know about warlocks?' Bella had asked. 'Do they come out of hell fully grown or were they evil babies at one point?'

Of course, Prue still hadn't listened to Bella. Her youngest sister could be doubtful all she wanted but Prue knew Andy's heart. He was a good man with a pure soul and there was no way he would want to kill her or anyone else, for that matter.

That didn't mean that she wasn't liable to a good panic when things had spiraled out of control on her first date with Andy after more than half a decade apart.

"No, why?" Piper asked, glancing at her curiously.

Prue shook her head. "Never mind," she muttered. _If Piper didn't give him my number, maybe Phoebe did_. She sighed. _I'll kill her_.

Piper's panic-filled voice pulled Prue back to the present. She watched on, amused, as Piper breathed heavily, as though to calm herself. "Remind me I wanted to do this for a living, right?" she asked. Her eyes swept across the restaurant in a frenzy as she tried to catch on to anything or anyone that might need her immediate attention while she and Prue walked away from the hectic kitchen.

Prue scoffed. "Looks like you're the only one of us who's going to be doing anything for a living," she sighed. "I think I blew my interview."

"I can't imagine you were less than stellar," Piper soothed, even despite her flustered state.

Prue smiled slightly in gratitude of her sister's faith in her, even if she knew that the interview had gone terribly wrong.

She opened her mouth to say something else when she noticed Phoebe sitting at a table across the restaurant. She was wearing a gorgeous dress and sitting next to a man Prue had never seen before.

Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "What's Phoebe doing here?"

Piper smiled knowingly as her eyes found Phoebe at her table. "The same thing Bella's doing – flirting," she replied, turning her head towards one end of the bar where Bella was seated on a stool, a man in his twenties seated next to her. Prue recognized the wide, charming smile spread on Bella's lips: it was her 'I want something and you're going to give it to me' smile most were unable to resist. She, too, was wearing a dress to kill though it was clearly less 'I'm-going-to-be-in-debt-for-the-next-year' expensive.

"Who's that guy?" Prue asked, feeling her head spin a little at how fast her little sister was moving from one guy to the next.

Piper shrugged. "I have no idea," she replied honestly. "All I know is that his name is Mitch, she met him in front of the church when she went with me to deliver food earlier, he gave her a ride back here, they stayed for a while, went out to God knows where and strolled back in here together over an hour ago and they haven't stopped talking and flirting ever since."

Shaking her head, Piper commented, "Frankly, I think her dating habits are getting a little bit out of hand."

"Yeah, no kidding," Prue muttered. Turning to Piper, she asked, "I thought she was seeing the bartender? What's his name again?"

"Javier," Piper nudged Prue and nodded in Bella's direction once more.

Prue turned back just in time to catch Javier carrying a tray of dirty dishes and glasses, walking past Bella and Mitch the mystery man. He glared at them as he passed but neither of them had even noticed his presence.

"She broke it off with him, apparently," Piper sighed, an amused smile on her face as she watched her younger sister place her hand on Mitch's forearm, her eyes glittering as she listened to him. It was obviously some sort of funny anecdote he was telling her because she suddenly threw her head back and laughed. Mitch continued to stare at her, mesmerized.

Prue blinked at Piper, incredulous. "After a day?" she asked, disbelieving.

Piper snorted lightly. "Yeah," jerking her chin in Javier's direction – he was clearing a table a couple of feet away from Bella and Mitch, and kept sending them murderous glares every few seconds. "I think he's about ready to stab either one or both of them."

Prue shook her head. _I can't deal with this right now. But Bella and I are definitely going to have a talk about her dating habits later at home_, she thought grimly, watching Bella and Mitch lean in close, big smiles on their faces as they whispered to one another.

Her head swiveling towards Phoebe once more, she wondered aloud, "She's wearing Armani…Where did she get that?"

"Not from my closet," Piper scoffed, shaking her head. She started when she saw Hector waving at her from the kitchen. "I gotta go," she said hurriedly before she rushed back towards the kitchen.

_Which sister first…?_ Prue wondered to herself as she looked back and forth between Bella and Phoebe. Deciding that Phoebe's story was probably less complicated than Bella's man-hopping tendencies, Prue sighed and headed for the second youngest Halliwell sister.

Phoebe and the guy she was with looked up the moment Prue reached them. "Prue, hi," Phoebe said in an oddly cheerful manner, a contented smile on her lips. Turning to the guy she was with, she started the introductions. "This is my other sister," she explained to him. "Prue, this is Stefan, the photographer."

Stefan flashed Prue a smile. "Pleasure."

"Likewise," Prue said with a polite but indifferent smile, shaking the hand Stefan offered her. "Nice dress," she commented to Phoebe.

Phoebe, recognizing the slight in Prue's tone despite the friendly smile she wore, raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's not yours," she said, snubbing Prue right back.

"I know," Prue smiled. "I could never afford it."

Phoebe glared at Prue discreetly. "Will you excuse me for one minute?" she said to Stefan, her tone genial even if she was dying to burst out at her sister. "I'll be right back," she touched Stefan's hand for a brief moment. _Whoa, felt kind of rough_, she commented silently as she felt the rough texture of his hand. _Maybe it's work-related…_

She stood up, openly giving Prue a glare now that Stefan could only see her back, and followed Prue away from the table. There weren't a lot of places to go for privacy in a crowded restaurant so Prue did the best she could: the kitchen.

She and Phoebe walked past Bella as they headed to the kitchen – Bella was still sitting at the bar with Mitch, though it looked as though they were wrapping things up. Prue wrapped her hand around Bella's thin arm and pulled her off the stool, dragging her along.

"Hey!" Bella protested. Seeing that Prue wasn't going to let up, she frowned, annoyed, and turned to smile at Mitch. "You'll call me?"

"Oh, absolutely," he replied, grinning. "I'll see you around, Bella…"

She waved at him right before Prue hauled her into the stifling kitchen and the door to the kitchen swung shut.

"Okay, what the hell!" Bella scowled, hands on her hips as she rounded on her sisters. "I realize you two have many, _many_ issues but _try_ not to let your problems infect my life."

Prue and Phoebe ignored her. They faced off, both glaring and not giving into their staring contest. "How are you going to pay for that?" Prue demanded, referring to Phoebe's dress. "You're broke."

"Not for long," Phoebe answered, a little too smugly for Prue's taste.

"What does that mean?" A thought occurring to her, she asked angrily, "You didn't use your powers again?"

Phoebe shrugged, unflinching. "Maybe," she said vaguely. "Are you telling me you haven't?"

"No, I'm not telling you that but we're not talking about _me_, are we?"

Piper, as flustered as she had been ever since she started her job at Quake, came rushing up to them. "What are you guys doing in here?" she asked, panicked.

"Same thing they do at home," Bella quipped. "If it's all the same, I'd like to go n…"

She was interrupted by Prue's angry accusations at Phoebe, "What, did you go to the tracks, play the market, what?"

"The lottery," Phoebe answered guiltily.

Piper, who had previously been looking around them to check that no one was listening in on their little conversation, turned to look at Phoebe, shocked. "Phoebe!" she cried in a scandalized tone.

"Cool," Bella commented, her eyes lighting up. "Can I get a cut?"

Piper turned her shocked glare on Bella next. "Bella!"

Bella threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Hey, this is the first remotely interesting thing that's happened to us since we turned into witches. I'd like my share of the fun," she defended herself.

"Shh!" Piper hushed her. "Not so loud!"

"What did you want me to do?" Phoebe demanded, her eyes still fixed on Prue, and vice versa. "Ignore the premonition? Not help a needy family? That's what we're supposed to do, right?"

Prue shook her head. "No, we are not supposed to use our powers for our own personal gain. That's what it says in the Book of Shadows," she reminded Phoebe.

Piper leaned closer to her bickering sisters, whispering the same thing she had said to Bella harshly, anxiously, "Not so loud!"

Phoebe ignored her. In fact, her voice seemed to grow louder, "You said we needed money, right? Well, I'm getting some."

"Come on, you guys," Piper urged, wanting them to lower their voices and get the hell out of the kitchen. More preferably, out of the restaurant so that no one could hear their conversation.

Prue's glare was unrelenting as she snapped, "Well, get a job like everybody else!"

Bella quirked an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why do you even bother?" she asked Piper. "You know they block out the rest of the world when they're fighting."

"I'm using my mind instead!" Phoebe practically yelled back.

Bella gave Piper a knowing look. "See?"

The kitchen door swung open, and Andy's voice called out, "Prue?"

All four of them turned in his direction only to see him bumping into one of the kitchen staff carrying a tall stack of plates.

"Watch it!" Piper cried out in panic, her hands flying out in instinct. Unable to help herself, or control her powers, Piper accidentally froze the entire kitchen. The plates froze midair before they could crash to the ground.

Piper stared in horror at the frozen room. Not a single person twitched, the usual sizzle as the dishes were cooked was gone and the clock on the wall had stopped ticking. "Oh, no," Piper started to panic, breathing heavily and pacing back and forth. "No, no, no, no, no. Not again!"

"Now look what you've done!" Prue accused Phoebe.

Phoebe stared at her, incredulous. "This is _my_ fault!"

"You guys aren't frozen!" Piper asked, shocked enough by this new information to stop dead in her tracks.

Phoebe shrugged. "I guess it doesn't work on witches," she theorized.

"You see?" Bella said triumphantly, a scowl on her lips. "You see! This is why we have to learn how to control our powers!"

"Bella, this really isn't the time," Prue said dismissively.

Bella glared at her. "Then _when_ is the time, Prue?" she demanded. "You never want to talk about it at home, and this is something we're all gonna have to face at some point, okay? Denial is only going to work for so long."

"It's worked for us so far!" Prue snapped.

"Really!" Bella gestured around them with a flourish of her hand. "Are you so disgusted by our heritage that you'd rather risk accidents like these? Accidents that, might I add, could very well expose us one day and wreak havoc on our lives."

"Like they haven't already," Piper muttered, continuing her pacing.

Phoebe, looking around at the frozen people around them, asked, "Piper, how long does it last?"

Prue hurried to the kitchen door, pushing it open slightly to glance outside. The hustle and bustle in the restaurant was deafening compared to the silence in the kitchen.

"I don't know," Piper answered frantically. "Not long."

"Uh, it doesn't work out there, either," Prue informed them.

"Oh, tell me this isn't happening," Piper looked to be on the verge of tears.

Phoebe grabbed hold of Piper's shoulders, trying to calm her down as they paced back and forth together. "Calm down, it's okay," she soothed. "It's all gonna be okay…"

Prue took another peek outside the kitchen and stiffened. "Oh, God. Andy's partner just came in and he's headed this way," she told the others frantically.

"What are we going to do?" Piper asked, her eyes trailing to the still-frozen Andy.

Bella straightened out her dress. "I'll stall him," she informed the others. "You guys try to calm Piper and unfreeze the room."

Phoebe frowned. "How are we supposed to do that?" she questioned.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I don't know," she replied cavalierly. "I have my job, you have yours. Get to it!"

Phoebe narrowed her eyes as she watched Bella breeze out of the kitchen door. "Easy for her to say," she scowled. "She got the easy job."

"Okay, focus," Prue said authoritatively. "Piper, you need to calm down, okay? Panicking isn't going to do anything. For all we know, you panicking is making them stay frozen longer."

Outside the kitchen, Bella jogged slightly in her heels towards the towering man she knew was Andy's partner. "Hey," she smiled at him, stopping right in front of him and halting his steps. "Inspector Morris, right?"

He did a double take when he saw her face. "Uh…Yeah," he blinked, looking a little enthralled by her. "How'd you know?"

"Oh, I've seen you around," she answered vaguely, flipping her hair over her shoulder and giving him one of her megawatt smiles. "I'm Bella Halliwell, by the way."

Morris blinked a few times. "Halliwell, right…" he shook his head, as though to clear the hazy fog that had settled in his mind. "That's right…Andy came in here looking for your sister. Is Trudeau in there?" he asked, nodding towards the kitchen.

"Uh, Andy?" Bella asked in a bid to stall Morris for longer, sidestepping to get in his way once more. "I don't know, is he?" _Okay – lame_, she chided herself.

They were startled when they heard the sound of a loud crash coming from the kitchen. This time, when Morris sprang into action and darted around her to rush into the kitchen, Bella didn't stop him.

_That crash sounded like plates crashing to the floor so it's more than likely that the room had unfrozen_, Bella thought, smiling victoriously at being able to distract Morris until necessary. _Felt weird trying to flirt with him, though_, she shuddered slightly. _Guess it's good to know I'm not the type to go after married men_.

She followed after him just to be sure, and walked in just in time to hear Andy say to Prue, "I really think we should…"

Andy noticed Morris standing behind him and gave him a confused look. "…Talk," he finished his sentence distractedly. "What are you doing here? I thought I had five minutes?" he asked his partner.

"Yeah, I gave you ten," Morris said, pointing at his watch.

Poor Andy looked a little too confused as he tried to figure out where the time had went. At Bella's meaningful look, Piper said loudly, "Guys, you know, we're really busy in here."

Andy gave her a slightly sheepish, still bewildered, smile. "Yeah, sure," he said, sounding deflated.

"Uh, I'll call you later, I promise," Prue said quickly, hoping to speed his and Morris' exit a little.

Andy nodded, a little more satisfied. "Okay," he gave her one last smile and turned to follow Morris out the door.

"Bye," Phoebe called out cheerily.

Bella sidestepped the broken plates on the floor, and Javier who was cleaning them up, and joined her three sisters a few feet away.

Piper, looking far too stressed out for someone who had just dodged a potential crisis, whispered harshly, "I _hate_ being a witch."

Prue, Phoebe and Bella exchanged looks as Piper stormed off.

* * *

><p>Piper had gone home after the almost-disaster with Andy, his partner and the frozen room, still shaken by the whole thing.<p>

Her sisters had been absolutely no help. Phoebe had tried to soothe her further but reassuring words were meaningless to her at this point. Bella had shrugged and said, "Eh. It could've been worse."

Prue had stuck to her 'if we try our hardest not to use our powers, everything will be okay' line, and that had sparked an argument between Prue and Bella. Bella had called Prue naïve and Prue had called Bella reckless. At one point, Phoebe jumped in on Bella's defense.

It got so heated that Piper kicked all three of her sisters out of the kitchen. They'd left the restaurant altogether, still bickering loudly.

If anything, her sisters had managed to make things much worse for her.

After another few hectic hours at the restaurant, Piper had come home, exhausted from the dinner rush. She hadn't managed to get a break ever since lunch so she'd been starving but she was too wiped to grab some dinner. She'd fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

When she'd woken up the next morning – her day off, thank God – it was already nearing eleven and the house was quiet. Looking out the driveway, she couldn't see Prue's car so she assumed her elder sister was out somewhere. She couldn't find Phoebe or Bella anywhere so she assumed they'd gone out, as well.

_Maybe it's a good thing to have the house to myself for once_, Piper sighed, unable to help the desperate heaviness weighing down on her chest.

Her talk with pastor Williams had gone so terribly, and she hadn't gotten what she needed from him: his belief that she was evil and needed to be killed wasn't very reassuring. She really needed to find someone else to talk to but who could she approach? None of her sisters seemed like a good candidate. She already knew what they would say and she knew what they'd have to say wouldn't soothe her fears.

Staring at her unappealing breakfast, Piper sighed. She put down her glass of OJ, her stomach churning uncomfortably.

_I can't do this_, she decided. _I need answers. And if no one has them, maybe I can find some from the Book of Shadows_. It made sense, after all. The Book of Shadows was supposed to be a journal of sorts, according to Bella, documenting everything their ancestors had to say about their magic.

Leaving her breakfast on the kitchen table, Piper headed out the door and went up the three flights of stairs.

She was surprised when, upon entering the open attic door, she found Bella sitting on Grams' old armchair. She was seated horizontally on the chair, her back against one arm while her legs dangled over the other. The Book of Shadows was propped on her thighs and her eyes were fixed on the words on the page it was opened to.

"Hey," Piper called out as she approached Bella, who looked up, not at all startled by her presence. Piper gave her a small smile. "What are you doing?"

"Reading," Bella stated the obvious.

Piper nodded, sinking down on the wooden chair opposite Bella. "Oh, yeah? Found anything interesting?" she inquired.

Bella grinned. "It's actually a good read," she told Piper. "Like reading the Brothers Grimm, only it's all real."

Seeing the look flashing across Piper's face, Bella's wide smile dimmed slightly. She turned her body so that she was seated properly on the armchair, the Book of Shadows closed on her lap. "Piper, what's wrong?" she asked, her tone drenched in concern.

Piper gave her a shaky smile, shaking her head. "It's nothing," she tried to insist.

Bella blinked. "Bull," she said instantly. "Tell me," she urged softly, reaching out to grasp Piper's hand.

Piper squeezed her hand, grateful for the comforting gesture. Bella might not always have the softest approach and she was usually a little brash, especially for someone who wasn't used to her attitude, but when it came down to the people she loved in need of some help, she went at it fiercely.

"I've just been…" Piper exhaled loudly, to breathe easier, but her throat tightened even further. "I've been thinking a lot lately."

Bella quirked an eyebrow. "About what?" she asked, though the knowing glint in her eyes told Piper she knew the answer already.

Piper looked down at her lap. "About how totally screwed we are now that we're witches," she replied quietly.

"Piper, that's not true at all," Bella scoffed.

Piper shook her head. "You don't understand," she insisted.

_Isn't that supposed to be my line as the moody, misunderstood teenager?_ Bella thought to herself.

"You don't think we are," Piper continued. "You're never afraid of anything. I envy that about you. I always have."

Bella smiled slightly. "Yeah, well, don't," she advised. "You don't wear rebellion as well as I do." When Piper gave her a watery laugh, Bella leaned forward slightly. "Piper, talk to me."

Piper shrugged slightly. "I don't know…It's like our whole lives we've been like everybody else. Rushing off to work, going out on bad dates, buying shoes…And suddenly we wake up one day and everything is different," she sniffled. "We're witches now. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," she admitted.

"Are you kidding?" Bella scoffed lightly. "Piper, this is the best thing that's ever happened to us. We're on a path to be kick-ass good witches, fighting evil sons-of-bitches."

"You don't know that," Piper countered immediately.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Piper – think," she urged. "These powers have been in our family for generations. Would Grams and Mom really have been evil?"

"We don't know that they even had powers, Bella," Piper reminded her. "For all we know, they didn't even know about all this. The fact is…We don't know anything about these powers. Why we have them, what they mean, where they even come from…I mean, how do we know it's not…"

She paused, taking in a deep breath. "How do we know it's not from evil?" she asked tearfully, finally voicing her biggest fear.

Bella sighed, putting the Book of Shadows aside so she could slide forward in her seat and take both of Piper's hands in her own. "Piper, we've been through this," she said gently. "We're good witches, remember?"

"What about Jeremy?"

"The freak you dated? What about him?" Bella scowled.

Piper shook her head at Bella's cavalier words. "How do we know we're not just like him? Or the other warlocks he said would be coming after us? This is what scares me, Bella. We don't know. I just wanna be normal again. As messed up as that was. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Yes," Bella's answer was immediate. At Piper's look, she said, "Piper, look, we don't know how to reverse the spell. Hell, I'm pretty sure we can't. And, frankly, I don't want to be normal again. Normal was boring and our family was practically torn apart. Everything's better now."

"Is it?" Piper challenged, swiping at her eyes. "I feel like a ticking time bomb, Bella. I wake up and I get two seconds of peace before my worries and anxieties about my power come rushing in. I spend the day completely terrified that I might use my power accidentally and that, someday, it won't be a temporary freeze. I go to bed getting nightmares about us being evil. I'm _exhausted_."

Bella gently ran the back of her finger down Piper's cheek before lifting her face up with her finger underneath Piper's chin. "Piper, listen to me," she said gently. "You are…The sweetest, most caring person I've ever met."

Piper scoffed tearfully, a shy smile on her lips as she shook her head slightly in denial.

"No, I mean that," Bella insisted. "You are. You're always there to help anybody – even total strangers. You've been doing it your whole life. So there's no way you've been given this…This _gift_ if it wasn't to do good things with it. To protect the innocent just like the Book of Shadows said. If you can't trust your instincts, and you can't trust what we say, at least trust that…"

She reached out with one hand to pat the Book gently. "I know it's scary, Piper, and I know that you're even more terrified because you went through much more than the rest of us did last week, but you're a good soul, Piper," Bella insisted. Giving Piper a teasing half-smile, she added, "Besides, if anyone should be concerned about being bad, it's Phoebe, right?"

Piper laughed, shaking her head slightly.

"You've got nothing to be afraid of, Piper," Bella assured her. "Stop worrying so much about this. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack at twenty-three."

Giving Piper a kiss on the cheek, she shot up from her seat. "Alright, I'm gonna go get to my fifth job interview," she sighed. "I don't care if I have to wear a chicken suit. I have, literally, ten bucks left."

Piper laughed, watching Bella strut out of the attic door. _Phoebe's beautiful, of course, but with her sudden physical maturity and her attitude, Bella would fit in as a model perfectly_, she thought to herself.

She sat there in the attic, mulling over Bella's words for a long time after her sister had left. Picking up the heavy heirloom on the wooden table to her side, Piper flipped through the pages of the Book of Shadows, her eyes flicking over every word and drawing on each page. She reached the first page, with the spell calling for their powers, and ran her hand gently down the yellowed paper.

_I need to know for sure_, she thought determinedly. _I've got to get back to the church_.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Hey guys. Once again, I'm so sorry for the delay. This is just not a happy month for me.

Thank you SO much for those who reviewed last chapter. You made my day. It doesn't look like we're going to reach another 100 reviews for episode 2 but we've reached 50 and that's more than I anticipated so thank you so very much.

Please, read this next part and feel free to review and tell me your thoughts.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p><em>Prue, we've been given a second chance here. I don't wanna blow it this time<em>.

Andy's words rang through Prue's mind the whole way to Buckland's, his earnest expression imprinted in her mind.

She was so beyond tempted to accept his offer to start over, her feelings for him having grown exponentially since they'd run into each other again at the hospital over a week ago. She was starting to experience the heady, heart thumping, head spinning, feeling that she'd felt for him all those years ago once more.

She was concerned, however, that the complications in her life would ruin a relationship with him.

She and Andy had parted on friendly terms the last time around. It had been painful and she had been heartbroken, but she'd never harbored any ill feelings towards him. It had just been time for them to separate then – he was moving to a different state for college and she was staying in San Francisco to be near her family.

He had been her first love and though it was one of the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, Prue and Andy hadn't had a bad break-up.

Now, though, if she were to give into her feelings and take a chance on them once more, there was a very likely possibility that things would end badly. She didn't want to ruin her relationship with Andy, whether it was romantic or simply platonic.

_Not now, Prue_, she thought to herself as she stepped out of the elevator at Buckland's. _Focus on the interview. There's plenty of time to think about how screwed up our lives are thanks to Phoebe and that stupid spell she naively read out loud _after_ I get the job_.

She nodded and smiled at the receptionist and Jenna as she passed by them. She found Rex waiting outside his office, and smiled at him.

"Prue, thank you for coming back," he said the moment he saw her.

She took his outstretched hand and gave it a good shake. "Well, thanks for having me back, although I must admit I didn't expect it," she admitted, silently asking him why she'd been asked back.

Rex shrugged. "I told you I was interested," he reminded her. "And I am. But first of all, I decided to test your expertise, if you don't mind. See how good you really are."

Prue followed him down the hallway and into a gallery which looked as though it was halfway through a paint job. There were sheets covering a few items and paint cans and brushes everywhere.

They stepped carefully over the sheets on the floor and made their way towards a redheaded woman who was gazing at a painting propped up on an easel. "This is Hannah Webster, one of our assistant specialists," Rex introduced. "This is Prue Halliwell."

Both women smiled at each other, though Prue could sense the insincerity in Hannah's smile, and shook hands. "Hi. Nice to meet you," Prue said, to which Hannah merely gave another fake smile and a nod of the head.

Rex gestured towards the painting Hannah had been gazing at earlier when he and Prue had entered. "Please, tell us about this piece," he urged.

Prue turned her attention from Hannah to the painting. She eyed it carefully and even made sure to look behind the painting to ascertain what the frame was made of, the answer coming to her in an instant. "Well…Madonna of the Meadow, Giovanni Bellini, 16th century…Fabulous piece," she commented. "Worth three, four million dollars easily – if it wasn't a copy."

Hannah ducked her head, a small smile coming to her lips, and Rex reeled his head back as though surprised she had come to that conclusion. "What makes you think it's a copy?" she asked, her tone curious and maybe just a tiny bit mocking.

"Too well preserved," Prue answered, looking just a tiny bit smug that she'd caught something she didn't think the others Rex had interviewed had, judging from his reaction. "No yellowing. Besides…The frame support is in pine and Italian painters used poplar back then."

Rex nodded. Moving a few steps behind, he gestured towards a sculpture on a display stand. "Um, what about this one?" he asked.

"Degas," Prue nodded without a second's hesitation. "Actually…This was the only sculpture he exhibited himself."

Hannah took a tiny step back and accidentally bumped into a ladder. They heard a metal clang and all three looked up to see white paint falling down from a tipped over can, directly above Prue.

"Watch out!" Rex warned.

Prue gasped, holding both her hands out to shield herself. _Oh, God, please don't let it fall on me_, she thought desperately, not looking forward to the embarrassment of having to walk out of the building drenched in white paint. The thought of the cost for her ruined suit and car seat was enough to make her cringe.

She was shocked when, instead of falling on her, the paint moved at the last second and fell to the floor, completely missing her. Some of it splashed on Hannah's heels, and she frowned, trying unsuccessfully to shake them off.

"Are you okay?" Rex asked Prue concernedly.

_Just pretend that it was a normal thing_, Prue breathed deeply to calm herself. "Uh, uh, yeah," she lowered her hands and straightened her clothes. "Yeah, I'm okay," she gave him a fake smile, mentally wincing at the unnatural way the paint had missed her and hoping against hope he wouldn't mention it.

"You sure?" he asked. "I'm sorry – I can't believe that happened," looking up to see the fallen paint can and narrowing his eyes at it suspiciously.

"It's okay," she assured him.

He looked back down at her. "Well, uh, I really don't know what to say, except – you're hired!" he told her. Gesturing towards the paint, he added teasingly, "If you still want the job."

Prue stared at him, stunned at his words. "Are you serious?" she asked excitedly.

Rex nodded, taking her words as a 'yes'. "Can you start Monday?" he asked.

"Yeah, absolutely," Prue answered immediately, a wide smile spreading on her lips.

"Terrific," Rex clapped his hands together. "It's done then. Yeah, we can sort out the details when you come in. In the meantime, welcome aboard."

"Thanks," Prue grinned, shaking his hand once more. "Bye," she offered Hannah a smaller smile then left, feeling the bounce in her steps as she walked.

_Thank God_, she thought happily. She had been out of a job for a week and already it had made her feel out of balanced. Getting the position at Buckland's was _so_ relieving. She could literally feel a heavy weight being lifted from her chest and shoulders.

_At least now I can enjoy my weekend_, Prue thought with a smile on her face, stepping into the nearly empty elevator.

* * *

><p>Bella sighed as she paused outside the office of the San Francisco Bay Mirror. Turning towards a large, shiny plaque placed on the wall opposite the door, she checked her reflection to make sure that her hair wasn't messed up from the wind outside and her clothes were straightened out.<p>

Turning on her heel, she pushed open the door to the office and stepped inside. The hustle and bustle of the room as journalists rushed from one work station to another was unsettling at first, but Bella moved past that. She could see two closed office doors on the right but, not knowing which was the one she was supposed to head for or if Mr. Bayer was ready to see her, she stopped the next person to rush past her.

"Hey," she greeted the young, obviously-just-out-of-school man, stopping him dead in his tracks. "I'm supposed to be meeting Mr. Bayer? Is he available right now?"

The young man stammered for a few moments, and nothing comprehensible left his mouth. Another journalist - an older, red-headed woman whose brilliant hair color was enough to make Bella jealous - stopped in front of the two. Rolling her eyes at the man, she said, "Sorry about Matt. He's a little off in the head sometimes."

Bella grinned, shrugging.

"Bayer's free right now, so you can just go ahead inside," the woman assured her. She pointed Bella towards the right office and nodded, rushing off once more, when Bella thanked her.

Brushing past 'Matt', Bella walked confidently towards the office the woman had pointed to. She'd read somewhere that confidence was a good quality to have when facing prospective employers. Of course, she just felt that confidence was a good quality to have all the time; too much insecurities about yourself didn't seem like an attractive thing.

She knocked a few times on the closed door and waited until the person inside called out 'come in!'

Turning the doorknob, she stepped inside the room and smiled when the man behind the desk looked up. A hint of smugness ran through her the way they always did whenever someone recognized her beauty when the young, twenty-something blonde man - presumably Bayer - took one look at her and his eyes widened.

"Ah - hi," Bayer smiled, starting to stand from his seat.

"Hi," Bella greeted. "Mr. Bayer?"

He nodded, straightening his spine. "Yes, may I help you?" he asked.

"I'm Bella Halliwell," she introduced herself, holding out her hand. "I'm here for the position of your assistant?"

His eyes lit up in recognition as he shook her hand. "Oh, yeah," he nodded. "Sure. Ms. Halliwell." Bella's eyebrows rose up to her hairline for a moment as she caught Bayer giving her a lecherous once-over. "Well, have a seat, Ms. Halliwell," he gestured towards the chairs opposite him.

Bella sat down, fidgeting in her seat slightly until she was comfortable. Bayer smiled at her, a slightly leering grin on his face as he sat back down in his seat. "So, Ms. Halliwell, have you had any working experience before?"

"Bella's fine," she offered, and her lips turned up in a sheepish grin. "And no, I haven't. I'm only fifteen and I've only just recently been allowed to get a part-time job by my older sister. But I'm very organized, I'm quick thinking and I've got a steep learning curve."

Bayer chuckled, nodding. "I'm sure you do," he said, throwing her an indulgent smile. "And you're also very eager, I see."

Bella shrugged. "Well, I just need some extra cash since my allowance isn't getting me anywhere these days…" She froze, her eyes widening as realization struck her. "Oh, no. Is that bad? Was I supposed to say something clever and witty about why I wanted the job?"

"No, no, you're fine," Bayer assured her hurriedly, laughing slightly. "I don't need you to do much, really. How fast do you type?"

"Seventy-five words per minute."

Bayer nodded appreciatively. "And how well are you at being organized? I know it seems impossible but by the end of the week I've got twenty more files than I had the week before, and I'm going to need you to be up to speed on my meeting schedules because it _can_ get pretty hectic in here and I might need a few reminders from time to time."

Bella grinned. "One of my older sisters is kinda anal retentive about being neat so I'm pretty good at organizing, If you already have a system, I can catch up easily. If you don't, then I can come up with a fairly basic one that won't give you migraines to follow on a bad day."

He grinned. "I'm sure you can," he said, and Bella's smile flickered when she thought she detected a hint of patronization in his tone. "Now…There are going to be certain times - not a lot, mind you - when I'm going to need you to…Dress up a bit."

Bella paused, her eyebrow quirked as she gave Bayer a questioning look. "Dress up?" she repeated, sounding bewildered.

Bayer nodded. "We're in the middle of a big take-over," he explained. "And some days the new big boss comes in to have a look around. We're still a little iffy on who gets to stay and who gets to go, but I'm pulling all the stops to make sure that I impress him."

Bella stared at him. "And you think I will impress him with my mad organizing skills?" she asked, her tone sarcastic.

Bayer laughed again, and Bella knew for sure that he was patronizing her. "Well, you _are_ an incredibly smart, organized…beautiful young woman…I'm sure, with a little make-up and something a little more…Form-fitting, we'll pull this off."

He eyed her lecherously, making no attempts at hiding it this time. "You know, if you can start right away, he's scheduled to make another visit Monday. All you'd have to do is wear a pretty dress - nothing weird or fancy, but something showing your, uh, better assets - smile a little and maybe help with the coffee run during our meeting. Huh? What do you say?"

Bella gaped at the smirking, smarmy man in front of her. _Well, this is a disaster_, she sulked silently. _I guess this was what Prue meant when she said be careful going around flaunting beauty in people's faces…_She fought the urge to grimace as she noticed Bayer's eyes moving towards her chest. She shrank back slightly in her seat. _I feel like I should be wearing a trench coat. Or many layers of winter coats_.

Feeling a surge of indignation at Bayer's implication that she was nothing more than a pretty face and a hot body, offered up as eye candy to his new boss, she stood up, her spine stiff and her icy glare in place. The tick in her tightly clenched jaw was the only indication of her maddening urge to draw back one of her fisted hands and deck Bayer right in the face. She was glad to note that Bayer's leery smirk disappeared at the cold glare she sent his way.

"I'd rather work at a fast food joint wearing a chicken suit than demean myself like that," she snapped. "And try to keep your eyes north of the equator next time or I might just get you sued for sexual harassment of a minor - how's _that_ for impressing your new boss?"

Turning on her heels, she yanked open the door to his office, stepped out into the newsroom and slammed the door shut behind her. A little too steamed, and maybe even a little embarrassed at realizing just how lowly people would view her when she had basically zero qualifications (despite her beauty and her confidence), she didn't spare a glance towards anyone in the busy newsroom as she stormed out.

_I'll be sure to edit when telling Prue this_, she sighed as she stepped out into the cool, crisp day. _The last thing I need is for her to say 'I told you so'. She can be kinda insufferable when she gets smug…_

* * *

><p>Piper gazed at the church as she sat in her car across the street once more. She was giving herself a pep talk again.<p>

She knew all she needed to do was go up to the church, open the door and take one step inside. She _wanted_ to do it, too, if only to prove to herself that she was a good witch and wasn't destined for evil. However, her body felt paralyzed with fear.

_Come on_, she thought to herself. _You did it before_.

She cringed as she remembered the thunder that had come from nowhere and her hasty retreat back to her car.

_Okay, not the best example_, she thought wryly.

When it came down to it, not knowing was absolutely killing her. This was something she needed to do.

"I have nothing to be afraid of," Piper told herself, remembering Bella's earlier words. "I have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing. Nothing to be afraid of."

Taking a deep breath, Piper unclipped her seat belt, pushed open her car door and stepped out, muttering the word, "Nothing" once more under her breath. Repeating her mantra silently, she climbed the steps to the church and reached for the door handle. Her shaking fingers wrapped around the brass ring, and she closed her eyes, her body still, as she tried to will herself to open the door.

_Nothing to be afraid of_, she exhaled loudly.

She gripped the handle tightly and pulled the door open, cringing as she awaited some sort of terrible fate to befall her. When there was no thunder and no lightning, she straightened her body. Carefully, she placed one foot inside for one brief second before pulling back. When, again, she wasn't struck by lightning, she stepped inside with both feet and waited.

Nothing happened.

Smiling, Piper could feel herself starting to breathe easier. She walked out of the church, gazing happily around her. "I'm good!" she said loudly, throwing her hands up in the air victoriously.

Unable to stop grinning, Piper walked back down the steps of the church jovially. _Bella was right_, she thought to herself. _I really had nothing to worry about. I haven't turned evil. Thank God_.

Her smile started to slip as she reached the last step. An old woman, most probably in her sixties, was standing on the sidewalk adjacent to the church steps. She looked so very lost, as though she had no idea where she was or what she was doing there.

Piper was about to approach her, to ask her if she was alright and if she needed any help, when she caught sight of a flash of ink on the old woman's hand. Standing right in front of the woman, Piper gently took her hand to examine the faded angel tattoo on the back of her right hand.

_I know that tattoo_, Piper thought incredulously. Looking up into the familiar brown eyes of her old friend, she asked shakily, "Britney?"

The woman's eyes lit up, her expression turning pleading. "You know me?" she asked hopefully, desperately. "I-Is that my name?"

Piper gaped at her_. Oh, my God_…She swallowed thickly. _No, it can't be. Britney's in her twenties. There's no way she could've aged forty years since the last time we saw each other_.

A sudden thought made Piper freeze in her tracks.

True, two weeks ago, she would've dismissed any crazy ideas about this old, possibly senile woman being their twenty-something year old friend, but now she knew about the existence of magic. Her ex-boyfriend had tried to kill her and her sisters using magic she had never seen before. She had cast a spell to destroy him. They'd used the Power of Four.

Who knew what other magic was out there?

She didn't see what could possibly come out of turning a young woman old but, then again, she didn't know what sickos were out there using dark magic for their own reasons.

_Okay, before I jump the gun on this, I need to prove that this really is Britney_, Piper decided firmly.

Turning to Britney, she asked her a few questions that nobody but Britney Reynolds could answer. There were a few that the woman had trouble answering, mostly when it came to detailed precision, but she answered well enough to convince Piper that her initial, shocking suspicion was true.

"Come on, Britney," Piper said gently, guiding Britney towards her car across the street. "I'll take you to my house and we'll figure this all out, okay?"

Piper helped Britney into the passenger seat of her Jeep, buckled her in and shut the door. Making her way towards the driver's seat, Piper sighed sadly. _Poor Max_, she mused, her mind flashing to her friend's sweetheart since high school. _He must be going out of his mind wondering where she is_.

And though she had been worried beyond belief for almost two weeks about her powers, and wanted nothing more than to be rid of her witchy destiny, Piper felt resolved to help Britney and reverse whatever evil had been done to her.

* * *

><p>Prue was still smiling as she parked her car in the driveway of the manor, still on her high after her successful second interview at Buckland's. She'd have thought that the twenty-five minute drive back home would've calmed her down from her euphoria but, if anything, it seemed to have made her happier – she'd started humming ten minutes into the drive.<p>

Prue turned off the engine, grabbed her coat jacket and her bag and stepped out of the car. She made it a few steps towards the front porch when she heard a car door slamming shut nearby.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Bella talking to someone inside the driver's seat of a convertible. She stopped and waited until her sister waved goodbye to whomever it was that had driven her home.

When Bella turned to head to the house, she caught sight of Prue. She steered towards her elder sister's direction and, when Bella caught up to her, they both strolled towards the house at a leisurely pace.

"Hey," Bella gave Prue a half-smile. "How'd your interview go?"

Prue smiled triumphantly. "Aced it," she said proudly. "Yours?"

Bella scowled disgustedly. "Ugh, horrible," she answered sullenly. "There aren't really a lot of options for high school kids, you know? We end up working part-time at fast food joints or bookstores or something. I mean, I went to an interview for a job as the assistant to some newspaper bigwig, but all he wanted to do was stare at my boobs and order me around for coffee… I'm not sure how much I like being bossed around by somebody else or being ogled at like I'm some sort of under-aged stripper."

Prue stifled her laughter at Bella's words. "Well, you're going to have to get used to it, Bells," she said.

Bella threw her an incredulous look coupled with a raised eyebrow.

"Being bossed around, not the ogling," Prue corrected quickly. "That's what's going to happen when you're older and have to get a job for real."

Bella shook her head. "Uh – no," she said firmly. "I've done this hellish interview thing once and that's enough to last me a lifetime. The moment I get a job, I'm done with it."

Knowing that it wasn't possible at all – even if Bella wanted to live in denial about job interviews in her future, there were still college interviews to deal with – Prue laughed. "What will you do for money in the future?" she asked. "If you think you're broke now, wait until you're legal."

Bella shrugged. "I'll get famous somehow," she said as though this was the most obvious thing. Grinning mischievously, she added, "Or I'll marry rich. People will bow to me."

"Of course they are." Prue rolled her eyes before throwing Bella a questioning look, "I thought you didn't believe in marriage? Didn't you give me a long speech about how marrying a man would be a betrayal to feminists everywhere when I agreed to marry Roger?"

"And I stand by that – mostly," Bella conceded. At Prue's knowing look, Bella threw her an impish grin. "What? I needed some way to stall your 'wedded bliss' until you could see for yourself what an ass he is."

Prue nodded her head as the two of them went up the steps to the front porch. "So you're fine with marriage if it's to a rich guy?" she asked incredulously.

"Hey, if I marry some rich guy, I'd be set for life and that's what's important here," Bella sniffed. "My feminist sisters worldwide are just going to have to deal with it."

Prue shook her head, a smile on her face as she slipped her key into the slot and opened the door. "You do realize the chance of this actually happening is slim to none, right?" she asked. "Even if you do meet a filthy rich guy, there's no guarantee he'd marry you."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Please. What man would turn _me_ down?" she scoffed.

_Glad to see she's still as bigheaded as always_, Prue thought sarcastically. _Such an endearing quality…Though she has been getting more and more full of herself lately. Wonder why that is…?_

Shaking her head again, Prue stepped into the house, Bella right behind her.

"Piper? Phoebe?" Prue called out for their other two sisters the moment they were in the foyer. She hung up her keys and coat while Bella closed the door, then they made their way down the foyer towards the main hallway. "Guess what?"

"What?"

Both Prue and Bella were startled at the sound of an old woman's voice and her sudden appearance from the living room.

Bella blinked at her. "Who the hell are you?" she blurted out, quite rudely thanks to her shock.

Piper came walking in at an almost jog from the direction of the kitchen. She was holding a bowl of something that smelled like soup. "Prue, Bella," she breathed out when she saw them, sounding relieved. "Thank God you're home."

"Yeah," Prue said, her eyes flickering from Piper to the unnamed old woman standing with them. "Who, uh…?" she gestured to the woman with a tiny jerk of her chin.

Piper stalled answering Prue's question for the moment, knowing that when she answered, she'd have to elaborate to make any semblance of sense to her sisters. She couldn't do that in front of Britney, even if the woman was halfway to senile.

Turning to Britney, Piper addressed her gently. "Here you go, Britney," she handed the woman the bowl of soup. "Why don't you go sit down at the table, okay? There you go…"

Britney took the offered bowl and nodded, turning to head back into the dining room.

The three sisters watched her leave before looking at one another once more.

"I'm sorry – Britney?" Prue asked incredulously.

Piper shook her head. "You're not gonna believe this," she told her sisters.

Bella stared at her unblinkingly. "You're right," she interrupted. "I'm not."

Piper glared at her. "Here me out, okay?" she asked. "It's not a conclusion I came to easily, either. But I think…No, I _know_ this woman is Britney Reynolds," she insisted, her eyes wide and pleading for her sisters to believe her.

Prue and Bella exchanged a disbelieving look before turning back to Piper. "Yeah, right, Piper. And I'm Rosie O'Donnell," Prue scoffed.

Bella's eyebrows rose to her hairline as she stared at Prue, her nose wrinkled. "Really?" she asked dryly. "Out of all the people in the world, you choose Rosie O'Donnell as your witty retort? Hmm."

Prue rolled her eyes while Piper gestured wildly with her hands, trying to regain her sisters' attention. "I mean it, guys," she said adamantly.

Seeing the disbelieving looks on their faces – not to mention Bella looked as though she might just suggest calling the men in white coats on Piper – she decided to give them some hard evidence. "Britney has a tattoo, right? An angel on her right hand, remember?"

Prue and Bella looked in the direction of the table, Bella moving closer towards the door frame of the dining room entrance to take a better look at the old woman.

"No way," Bella breathed, her eyes seeing the same thing Piper had barely half an hour ago.

"That can't be," Prue wondered out loud.

Piper nodded, exhaling slightly in relief that Prue and Bella were starting to believe her, even though the idea in itself was ludicrous. "That's what I thought at first but then I started asking her some questions. Things that only Britney would know," Piper confided in a hushed whisper. "She may be senile but it was enough to convince me."

Prue, Piper and Bella shared grim looks.

If that old woman really was Britney, then the only explanation for her unfortunate predicament was dark magic – something had sucked the life out of her, leaving her with only a few years left to live, at most, and a memory that had deteriorated so badly she couldn't even remember her own name.

_Looks like we're about to face our second evil baddie_, Bella thought, feeling the same incredible rush of adrenaline she had felt a week ago right before vanquishing Jeremy. She mentally cracked her knuckles, _Bring it on_.

* * *

><p>"This isn't possible," Prue kept shaking her head. "I mean, how would it even…? This isn't possible. This just can't be…"<p>

Bella rolled her eyes as she paced. Her adrenaline hadn't abated yet, her blood pounding in her ears as it grew steadily in her stomach. She could almost imagine it, in the form of a ball of blue energy, growing larger and larger, just waiting to explode in a burst of power.

She paused long enough to glare in Prue's direction and say, "Prue, you've been saying that over and over again for the past five minutes. Will you _shush_ so I can think?"

Prue glowered at her.

"I know it's crazy but…" Piper threw her hands in the air in bewilderment. "There's no other explanation. I mean, she might not know her name but she knew exactly who Max is, where she first met him…It's gotta be her, right?"

Prue frowned. "But how? It's like something sucked the life out of her and stole her youth," she shook her head. "Could that even happen?"

Bella halted, Prue's words sparking something in her memories. "Wait a minute…" she whispered, causing Prue and Piper to turn to her expectantly. "I think I might know what happened to her."

"You do?" Piper asked.

Bella, still looking distracted by her train of thought, ignored Piper's question. "Attic," was all she said before she sped off in a burst of supernatural speed, not even aware that she'd moved faster than a normal being ever could, the warm rush of speed so familiar to her now despite having only used it a handful of times.

Prue and Piper shared a look before following after her, hurrying up the stairs as fast as they could go. By the time they reached the attic, Bella was already standing in front of the wooden stand where the Book of Shadows was propped up on, flipping hurriedly through the pages.

"Bella," Prue sounded a little out of breath. "What are you doing? What were you talking about downstairs?"

Bella didn't look up as she answered Prue, continuing her search. "I'm pretty sure I saw something about this in the Book of Shadows…"

Prue's head reeled back in shock. "You read the Book of Shadows?" she sounded furious. "When?"

Bella actually did look up, then. She glared back at Prue with all the defiance only a teenager could muster up towards an authority figure, fire blazing in her eyes. "It's my heirloom, too, Prue. I have a right to read it," she scowled. "_Someone_ has to since _you're_ so busy denying the magic in our genes."

Prue made to argue but Piper nudged her gently. "Prue, I don't think now's the time," she said quietly.

Bella, having turned her attention back towards the Book, smiled triumphantly when she found what she was looking. "Ha!" she yelled, causing Prue and Piper to come rushing to her side.

"What is it?" Piper asked anxiously.

Bella pointed to the page in front of her. "Okay, look, see?" she said, urging her sisters to read what she already knew. "Javna feeds one week out of every year, stealing the life force from the young."

Prue nodded, reading aloud from where Bella left off. "By evoking the black magic power, the evil eye, to sustain eternal youth," she murmured thoughtfully.

"It's gotta be what happened to Britney," Piper agreed.

"Yeah, but there must be some kind of incantation to reverse it," Prue worried.

Bella nodded. "There is," she assured the two of them, flipping the pages once more.

Prue quirked her eyebrow at Bella's words. "Wow, you must read the Book a lot if you know so much about what's in it and where to find it," she commented.

"Yes, you're right, I _should_ apologize for knowing how to save someone's life," Bella snipped. Flipping to the right page, she read aloud, "'The Hand of Fatima'. It says that the prophet Mohammad, centuries ago, banished Javna back to wherever the hell he came from."

Prue shook her head. "Yeah, well, the problem is, we don't know who Javna is, let alone where he is," she pointed out.

Bella nodded. "Yeah, with all the psychos running around San Francisco…He could be any one of them," she sighed.

"Well, we're not just going to give up?" Piper frowned at her sisters. "We've barely even tried."

Bella shrugged. "Maybe we should wait until Phoebe gets home?" she suggested. "She could get a premonition off of Britney."

Prue opened her mouth, about to argue that they couldn't really rely on Phoebe getting a vision since none of them could actually control their powers yet, but a loud crash from downstairs startled all three of them into silence.

"What the hell was that?" Bella asked, her muscles tensed.

"Britney?" Piper called out loudly.

The three of them sharing a look of suspense, they ran out of the kitchen, Bella once again much faster than her sisters. They found Britney slumped against the fridge in the kitchen.

"Oh, my God," Piper breathed when they saw her. "What happened?"

Prue crouched down next to Britney, checking her pulse and feeling her forehead. "Britney, are you alright?" she asked her gently.

"I'll call 911," Piper said frantically.

Bella stopped her with a hand on the arm. "And tell them what? That she's dying of old age at 25?" she scoffed. "No, the only way we stop this is to kill that son of a bitch and you know it."

Piper frowned unhappily at Bella's words. She was unwilling to admit out loud that they had no foreseeable way at the moment to help their friend. Piper crouched down as well, on the other side of Britney, wanting to reassure her in some way.

She took Britney's hand gently, noticing for the first time the napkin Britney clutched to her chest. Her brows furrowed as she took in the familiar address. _Why would Britney take this from the fridge? Did this make her faint? Why?_

"What is it?" Prue asked, looking at Piper's confused expression.

"It's a cocktail napkin from my restaurant," Piper replied, showing Prue the address written in ink. "With Stefan's address on the back."

Britney, recognizing Stefan's name, gasped in horror. "Javna," she whispered, terrified.

Bella perked up, a frown on her face. "Wait – Stefan the photographer is Javna?" she wondered, realization sinking in terrifyingly. "Crap. Phoebe's there with him right now."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Hey guys. I'm **SO** sorry for the humongous delay.

Please, read this next part and feel free to review and tell me your thoughts.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and Charmed do not belong to me.

* * *

><p>Phoebe hummed under her breath as she pulled up in front of the warehouse studio Stefan was using for his shoot.<p>

She was on an unbelievable high.

She was now a witch, she was on her way to being a model for a famous fashion photographer – which she was pretty sure was making Bella jealous as hell, if the snide comments she'd been getting since meeting Stefan was any indication – and it felt like things were finally going her way for once.

_I know Prue has this theory that nothing will ever come out of life if we don't have a plan and follow it obsessively, but sometimes we just need a little luck and good faith_, Phoebe thought smilingly.

Turning off the engine, Phoebe grabbed a garment bag containing another dress she had only just picked up and stepped out of the van.

She knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do to get yet another expensive dress but she wanted to impress Stefan. She couldn't use the same dress she had worn last night on their dinner date considering not only didn't she have enough time to dry clean it, it was far too fancy to wear to a photo shoot.

_Once the paycheck for my modeling gig comes in, not to mention my money from the lottery, I can pay for both those dresses and still have enough to retire at twenty-two_, Phoebe grinned to herself, repressing any thoughts of Prue berating her if she ever found out about the second dress.

Walking over to the entrance of the studio, Phoebe knocked on the closed door. "Stefan?" she called out loudly, wondering if he could hear her inside. _It could be hectic inside. Maybe he can't hear me…But then again I can't hear anything from out here…Am I too early or something?_ "It's me, Phoebe!" she yelled out.

Again, no one answered the door or even answered her verbally.

Phoebe placed her hand on the door handle, intending to try and open it – it didn't make sense for the door to be locked if the studio was in use and people needed to get in and out of it all the time – but the moment her fingers touched the handle, her mind swam with a sudden influx of images.

She saw herself tied to a long, rectangular table, her hands and legs bound so she couldn't escape. She saw something approaching, a wrinkled up creature she had no name for, drawing closer and closer to future-her. His eyes started to glow an awful orangey-red color, his attention focused on Phoebe.

Phoebe gasped, dropping the garment bag on the floor in shock.

_Oh, my God_, she thought, horrified. _Is that what's hiding behind this door? Why would Stefan tell me to come here?_

Before she could think any further on the matter, her absolute fear kicked in. She turned on her heel and ran for the door. Whatever it was that would try and attack her, she knew she wouldn't win against. She had no desire to stick around and allow herself to be killed.

She dashed back inside the van, turning on the engine easily since the key was still in the ignition. She was about to drive off when something grabbed her from behind, one strong hand clasped against her mouth to muffle her scream and pull her back against the back of her seat.

Phoebe screamed loudly, her entire body jolting from the surprise of the attack and her fear, but the sound was practically inaudible thanks to the rough hand pressed against her lips.

"Get out of the car," she heard, and the voice was incredibly familiar to her – Stefan.

The hand was slowly retreating from her mouth. Phoebe stayed still for the longest time until she could no longer feel his coarse flesh against her face. Then she screamed as loudly as she could, scrambling for the door handle to get out of the van.

The last thing she could remember before it all went dark was the piercing pain against the side of her head, and a loud, angry growl from something inhuman.

When she regained consciousness, she was living her nightmarish vision – trapped inside the darkened warehouse, which was decorated to look pretty Satanic, in her opinion, and tied to a table.

Phoebe struggled against her binds but she couldn't break free, the ropes too tight around her wrists and ankles. She could hear approaching footsteps and turned her head to the direction of her attacker. She couldn't see him in the dark but she knew it was Stefan – or that wrinkled up monster.

Remembering the way Stefan's hand had felt a little rough when she'd touched it at the restaurant before her confrontation with Prue, Phoebe cringed.

_Maybe Stefan and the monster are the same people_, she shuddered.

"Wait," Phoebe pleaded shakily. "Stefan or whoever you are…Let me go," she begged.

Her attacker stepped out of the shadows and into the reddish light, and her stomach clenched with fear as she saw the same wrinkly monster from her vision.

"It's Javna," it said, not sounding remotely close to Stefan's voice.

Terror overtook Phoebe and she screamed as its eyes glowed.

* * *

><p>"If Phoebe's there right now then we have to hurry," Prue said as she and Piper helped Britney into the living room and onto the couch.<p>

Piper covered Britney with an afghan in case she got cold later on. "What are we going to do if we get there?" she asked worriedly. "What if Phoebe's…"

"No," Prue said firmly, shaking her head and interrupting Piper. "She's not."

Bella walked into the room, phone to her ear. "Phoebe's not answering her phone," she told the others grimly. "I think we need to take a road trip."

Prue and Piper nodded.

While Prue headed for the foyer to grab her coat and keys, Bella dashed upstairs using Hyper Speed to grab her knife from her bedside table drawer.

Piper turned to Britney, who was almost asleep on the couch. "Just sleep, Britney," Piper spoke softly, tucking the blanket around her. "I promise we'll do our best to make it better."

Britney gave her a wrinkled smile before her eyes closed completely and she fell into a deep sleep. Piper would've been concerned but Britney's lungs made a rattling noise as she breathed so she knew her friend was alright for now.

"Piper, come on!" Bella called out impatiently.

Piper turned around to find that Bella already had her coat on, glaring at her anxiously as she tucked in her sheathed knife into her jeans. _God, her speed's annoying_, Piper huffed silently, rushing towards the foyer after one last glance at Britney.

Prue was already in the car when Piper and Bella emerged from the house, the engine running and her fingers tapping on the steering wheel as she waited for her sisters.

Bella slid into the passenger seat up front – it had been a longstanding 'rule' in the house that whichever sister made it to the car first could ride shotgun; Bella had absolutely no reservations about using her new power to cheat – while Piper took the backseat, panicking the entire drive over to the address written on the napkin.

It took them twenty minutes to reach their destination and, by this time, darkness had fallen completely. Prue pulled up behind the van sitting stationary outside the warehouse and, before the car had completely come to a stop, Bella had flung open the passenger side door and dashed out of the car.

"Bella!" Prue hissed. "For God's sake, wait until the car isn't moving anymore!"

Bella, who had reached the van by then, didn't hear her and began to search the van for any sign of Phoebe.

Both Prue and Piper hurried towards the van. "Do you see anything?" Piper asked worriedly.

Bella shook her head. "No," she said grimly. "Nothing."

Piper looked towards her older sister, feeling fear overwhelming her senses. "Prue…" she whispered anxiously.

"Look, we'll find her," Prue reassured Piper hurriedly.

Piper bit her lip. "Maybe we should call the police," she suggested.

Bella snorted. "That's a great idea, Piper," she said in a sarcastically cheerful voice. "We'll just call 911 and say 'help, my sister's about to be turned into an old woman by a creepy demon. Please, bring back up in case he tries to steal your life force, too'."

Piper scowled at her.

"Bella's right," Prue nodded. "If Javna has Phoebe, then we're the only ones who can stop him."

Piper frowned. "But we need Phoebe to do it," she pointed out to her sisters. "The incantation only works with the four of us."

Bella, who had stepped around the van, frowned thoughtfully at the building it was parked in front of. _Maybe they're in there_, she mused. _I mean, this is a pretty isolated place. I don't think anyone's here…What if he has her in there?_

She turned to look at Prue and Piper, about to voice her theory out loud, when they were startled by a loud, fearful scream. All three of them rushed towards the large warehouse-like building.

_I knew she was in here_, Bella thought smugly.

Piper jiggled the doorknob frantically. "It's locked!" she cried to her sisters.

Prue narrowed her eyes at the door, focusing all her energy on throwing the door apart. Her fear for her sister fuelled her focus, and within seconds, the door was flung open, crashing into the wall noisily.

The moment the door was open, Bella rushed inside at blurring speed. Her face twisted in anger when she saw a creepy, wrinkled up demon standing over Phoebe who was tied up to a long table. There was some sort of bright ray of light coming from his eyes, shooting straight at Phoebe's eyes as though it was some sort of a laser. Bella could see that whatever it was he was doing was hurting Phoebe.

Her sister's screams in the background, Bella saw red – literally. The room, in her eyes, grew darker, with one spotlight on Javna. Like with her Sensei and with Jeremy, the rest of the world slowed around Bella while she rushed forward at the speed of light.

She slammed into Javna, knocking him down to the ground. "Get away from her, you sick creep!" Bella growled out. Javna let out an animalistic, wordless growl and his eyes started to glow. "Don't you try that crap with me," she warned, kicking her foot out and striking him underneath his chin. His head snapped back and cracked against the concrete below.

"Bella!" Piper shouted out. "Help me!"

Bella glared at Javna one last time before blurring towards Piper and Phoebe. Piper was having trouble untying the knots. Bella took Phoebe's other side, letting out a frustrated growl at the tight ropes. "Man! What, was he in demon boy scout?" she complained.

"Guys, we don't have a lot of time here," Piper reminded them frantically.

Phoebe, whose eyes were fixed on Prue, who was the sister now facing off with Javna, gasped when she saw the demon scramble to his feet, his glowing eyes finding Prue. "Prue!" Phoebe yelled as Javna telekinetically drew her closer using his laser eyes. "Grab the mirror!" she called as she noticed the handheld vanity mirror placed at the end of the table.

Prue continued to be dragged forward by Javna's power. The moment she reached the table, she swiped the mirror and held it up in front of her face. Javna yelled out in pain as the laser from his eyes reflected off the mirror and back into his eyes. He staggered back into the empty table.

Piper, Phoebe and Bella rushed to Prue's side, watching as Javna sneer angrily at them and tried to use his laser on them one more. And, again, Prue deflected it, this time using her telekinesis.

"Now," Prue instructed, Piper handing her the paper with the spell scribbled on it. All four sisters began to chant the incantation out loud as they read it from the paper.

"Evil eyes look unto thee, may they soon extinguished be. Bend they will to the Power of Four. Eye of earth, evil and accursed."

Prue, whose hand was held out in front of her, began to feel as though her fingers were throbbing. She could see her fingers growing thicker right in front of her, magic sparking from her fingertips. _The Hand of Fatima_, she thought to herself.

They kept repeating the spell until Javna screamed, turning into a skeleton right before their eyes and disintegrating into ashes.

They stared as the ashes of Javna's remains were blown off the table into the air. Phoebe, a small smile forming on her lips despite how shaky she was, commented, "Very cool."

Bella allowed another moment of silence to envelop the group before clapping her hands together once. "Okay, this has been fun, but what say you we get going?" she asked rhetorically, ushering her sisters towards the door. "I've got another job interview tomorrow."

"You sound cheery about it," Prue commented in surprise.

Bella grinned slyly. "This interview, I'm not dreading," she admitted.

Piper laughed at Bella's sudden cheeriness. "Why not?" she asked, curious.

Bella shook her head. "Not telling," she said firmly. "I don't wanna jinx it." Turning to Phoebe, she asked, "You okay?"

Phoebe nodded, sighing. "Yeah," she replied, sounding a little morose. "Should've known this modeling thing is too good to be real. It doesn't just happen to somebody out of the blue."

Bella hummed, shrugging. "I don't know. I think it could," she said vaguely, refusing to answer any more clearly than that when her sisters badgered her.

The four of them headed out of the door, all sagging in relief now that Javna was gone. Even though they had only known of a demonic being working his dark magic nearby for just a few hours, tension had enveloped each and every one of them since the first moment without them realizing it.

Now that he was gone, Britney was probably back to being youthful and Phoebe was safe, they were inclined to feel much more relaxed.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Piper blinked in shock when a few squad cars and Andy's familiar car came rushing on scene and grinded to a screeching halt around Prue's car.

Cops in uniform rushed from the squad cars and hurried towards the building as they reached for their guns. Andy and his partner Morris came out of his car and, while Morris followed the uniforms into the studio, Andy headed towards the four sisters.

"Prue?" Andy sounded incredulous. "What are you doing here?"

Bella crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "We could ask you the same question," she shot back before Prue had a chance to reply. "What, do you make it a habit to follow the women you date around all the time?"

Prue gave her a 'shut up or you're grounded' glare which all but made her want to rebel. Piper, as though sensing another sarcastic comment from Bella, wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders and squeezed lightly in a silent reprimand.

"Actually, we're here to arrest the prime suspect in a kidnapping investigation," Andy explained, his chin jutting out slightly in a defensive move. "Your turn," he smiled smugly.

Bella rolled her eyes but Prue merely gave him a slight smile in return. "We were just…Trying to get the van started," she lied, nodding at the white van they were standing next to.

Piper jumped in when she saw the confused look in Andy's eyes, "Yeah, Phoebe called. She was having car troubles."

Andy turned questioning eyes to Phoebe who answered without being asked aloud, "Stefan was gonna take some pictures of me."

Andy started to shake his head. "What?" he sounded as though he was barely suppressing his rage. "Did you meet him?"

Phoebe shared a discreet look with Bella and Prue, both of whom whose eyes widened in silent code only decipherable by sisters. "No," Phoebe replied smoothly, turning her head to look at Andy once more. "I came here like he asked me to, waited but he never showed…I tried to leave but the van wouldn't start."

Andy gaped at her for a few moments, his mouth opening and closing silently as though he was a fish out of water. Finally, he sucked in a deep breath and asked her, "Do you have any idea how lucky you are? This guy's a stalker!"

They were interrupted by Morris approaching them, a displeased scowl on his face. "No sign of him inside," he informed Andy. "His car's here so he might still be around."

Andy nodded. "Have the uniforms canvas the area," he instructed. "We might still catch him, especially if he's on foot."

Morris nodded, shot the sisters a suspicious look then turned to head back to the cops he was in charge of.

Andy waited until Morris was out of hearing sight before giving the sisters a forced smile. "Excuse me," he nodded to them, squeezed past Prue and Piper and reached his hand inside the van through the open window on the driver's side.

The key was still in the ignition from when Phoebe had tried to flee after getting her horrific premonition. One turn of the key and the smooth purr of the engine gave Andy the confirmation he needed for his suspicion – none of the Halliwell sisters were there for the reasons they'd given him earlier.

Bella shrugged. "Well, I already fixed it before you came. Cars are my thing…" she gave him a half-truth (she was quite adept at fixing cars thanks to a mechanic ex-boyfriend). "But thanks for trying to be the macho man. I'm sure Prue appreciates it."

"Okay," Prue let out a fake laugh, glaring at Bella through a clenched smile. "I think it's time to go," she gripped Bella's shoulders and steered her away from the van. "Piper, Bella, I'll meet you back at the car."

Piper nodded, linked her arm through Bella's and led her away from the other three. Phoebe gave Andy a parting smile and slipped into the van to drive it back.

Prue and Andy walked away slightly from the van to get some privacy, silence settling between them until they came to a stop a few feet away from the van backing out towards the road. They exchanged half-awkward smiles.

"Uh, thanks," Prue said, gesturing towards the empty spot the van had been parked in.

Andy grinned slightly. "I didn't actually do anything, remember?" he teased.

Prue chuckled lightly. "Still," she insisted. They gave each other shy smiles. "Call me?" Prue asked.

Andy sighed.

There was no doubt in his mind that she had been right when she'd said that things had changed for her since the last time they'd seen each other. Prue Halliwell had always been a difficult woman to understand but she was a thousand times more complicated now.

Even so, he could remember clearly the love and affection he'd held for this woman, and he knew how easily he could fall in love with her all over again.

This was why he nodded, gave her a small smile and agreed, "Sure."

She nodded, returned his half smile and walked away towards her car. He turned to watch her leave, sighing to himself once more as he lamented on how Prue could scramble his senses with just one look.

_God help me_, he rolled his shoulders back once. He spared one last glance in the direction of Prue's retreating back before turning to join his partner.

* * *

><p>The next day, Phoebe walked into Quake to find the same redheaded woman who had been with Stefan the first time she saw him sitting at the bar.<p>

_I wonder if she remembers_, Phoebe mused to herself.

They hadn't had a chance to find out what Britney remembered – when they'd returned home, Britney was nowhere to be found. They would've panicked but Max, Britney's boyfriend who had been calling everyone left and right since Britney's disappearance, had left a message on their house phone telling them that Britney had come home, disoriented and without memory of the past few days but safe nonetheless.

Walking up to the redhead, Phoebe gave her a gentle, sympathetic smile. "Hey, how are you?" she asked the woman gently.

The redhead gave her a strange look. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

Phoebe gave her an awkward smile. "Uh…Sorry. I thought you were someone else," she lied lamely.

The redhead turned away from her and Phoebe walked off a few barstools away to where Piper and Prue were sitting, conversing with one another.

Piper must've seen Phoebe approaching the redhead, however, because the moment Phoebe reached them, she asked, "Do you know that girl?"

"I almost _was_ that girl," she said to her sisters' confusion. "She was one of Stefan's victims. Obviously doesn't remember."

"Lucky her," Prue commented glibly.

Phoebe shook her head, placing her clutch on the bar top. "No, lucky me," she corrected. "I learned my lesson – I have _got_ to be more careful."

Prue's head reeled back in shock and she smiled as she teased her younger sister. "Excuse me, did I just hear it? Did she actually admit to doing something wrong?" she asked Piper jokingly.

Piper grinned as she teased Phoebe along with Prue, "That's what I heard."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Frame it – it won't happen again."

"Consider it catalogued as one of my greatest memories," she joked. "Now all I need is for Bella to admit _she's_ wrong about something."

Phoebe snorted. "Good luck – the girl's even more pigheaded than you, Prue," she jibed good-naturedly, earning her a playful scowl from her eldest sister.

Piper sighed as she thought about Britney, whose still-panicked boyfriend had insisted on taking her to the hospital to make sure everything was fine with her. "At least we helped those people," she pointed out. "I mean, it's nice to know our powers really are good."

"In more ways than one," Bella said cheerfully as she bounded up to them with a large, happy grin spread from ear to ear. She slung an arm around Phoebe's slender neck, pressed a loud, smacking kiss to Phoebe's cheek and grinned at her three sisters.

Piper laughed at her younger sister's actions. "What do you mean?" she asked, curious.

Bella exhaled, flicking her hair back over her shoulder and smiling in satisfaction. "Well, thanks to Phoebe and Stefan, I now know exactly what I'm gonna do for a living…" she paused for a moment. "Well, at least for now, so that I can get a freer cash flow."

Prue's eyebrow rose to her hairline. "Oh, yeah?" she questioned.

Bella nodded. "Mm-hmm," she grinned smugly. "I'm gonna be a model!"

"Wow," Phoebe exaggerated, looking wide-eyed at Piper and Prue. While Piper ducked her head to hide an amused smile, Prue was starting to scowl, not bothering to hide her displeasure.

"Oh, yeah?" Prue repeated, her tone far less pleasant than it had been previously.

"Do you guys remember Mitch?" Bella asked eagerly, moving to Prue's side so she could hop onto an empty barstool and faced her sisters.

Piper nodded. "Your new boy toy," she remembered.

Bella waved her hand dismissively. "Eh," she answered noncommittally. "Anyway, Mitch has a brother with a girlfriend whose cousin's step-mother's second husband-"

"Anyone else feel like we've stepped into a soap opera?" Phoebe commented wryly, sharing an amused look with Piper.

Bella ignored her. "-happens to be Teddy Farrow."

Phoebe gasped, eyes widening in shock. "Teddy Farrow!" she asked excitedly. "_The_ Teddy Farrow? Are you serious!"

At Bella's nod, Phoebe gave an excited little yelp.

Teddy Farrow was a famous designer. He'd been born and bred in San Francisco and, after his work had taken off in New York and Milan, he'd returned to San Francisco and worked from the city most of the time. Now, in his early fifties, he was a fashion mogul. He was pretty hands-on from what Phoebe had read, taking great interest in everything that went into his fashion line, his shows, his magazine…

"Mitch pulled some strings and got me a job interview for Farrow," Bella confided eagerly. "It's pretty difficult to get his time of day but Mitch managed to pull it off - I'm pretty sure there's blackmail involved. I just came back from a casting, actually."

Piper smiled at her sister, happy for her. "Well, that sounds exciting," she said encouragingly. "How did it go?"

Bella grinned slyly. "All I had to do was walk in and the job was mine," she said smugly. "How amazing is that!"

"Pretty amazing," Phoebe nodded, feeling only a slight twinge of jealousy at Bella's sudden turn in good luck.

Prue cleared her throat meaningfully. "I'm sorry…Am I getting this right?" she asked slowly. "You're now modeling for Teddy Farrow?"

Bella nodded. "There's a fashion show coming up in three weeks and he wants me to be a part of it," she told her sister. "Since I'm technically a minor, you'd have to sign a consenting agreement in my contract…Is that okay?"

Prue hesitated. "I don't know…" she answered, her eyes fixed on Bella's pleading eyes even when she knew she should turn away before Bella manage to convince her without saying a word. "This might turn ugly – look at Javna."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Teddy Farrow's been working in the fashion industry since the sixties and he's never once been accused of murder," she pointed out. "Please, Prue? I hate every other job I've applied for so far and everything seemed to fit when I went in for the modeling audition. They loved me right off the bat! This is such an amazing thing to happen to me – you'd be a _total_ downer if you refused."

Prue rolled her eyes. "I'll think about it, okay?" she compromised.

Bella sighed. "Fine," she pouted. "I'm going in to sign the contract on Tuesday so can you make up your mind by then?"

Prue nodded, a shared look between her and Piper telling her that she'd cave in sooner or later; Bella could be _insanely_ persuasive when she wanted to be.

"Well," Phoebe exhaled, trying to lighten the mood since Bella still seemed unhappy with Prue's reluctance. "I'm glad you benefited from my near death experience."

Bella grinned. "Yeah, you come in handy sometimes," she teased, causing Phoebe to purse her lips in jest. "And so did our powers."

Piper nodded, her words from earlier about their powers being a good thing coming back to her, "Yeah…"

"God, I feel like I'm on a high," Bella sighed contentedly. "I kicked Javna's ass yesterday-"

Prue cleared her throat, giving Bella an expectant look.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Fine," she acquiesced reluctantly. "_We_ kicked Javna's ass yesterday and today, thanks to whatever power I have that made me look like Aphrodite decided she wanted to go through puberty again, I got my first modeling gig. Our powers are _so_ good for us."

She gave Prue and Piper a look. "Let me be the first to say – I told you so," she said smugly.

Prue rolled her eyes, sighing as she leaned her folded arms on the table. "Yeah, good for everything but our love lives, unfortunately," she lamented, her mind flashing to Andy for a brief second. At Bella's knowing look, Prue agreed, "Although I must admit they do come in handy once in a while."

Phoebe gave her a knowing stare. "Uh-huh," she said dryly. Remembering Prue's argument the night after her sex-on-the-first-date with Andy, where she had practically confessed to using her power, Phoebe added, "Hypocrite."

Something on the TV screen hanging on the wall made Phoebe's attention shift. "The winning numbers!" she gasped, fumbling for the ticket in her purse. "I've won!"

Prue scowled at her, and she shrugged. "Well, I did," she said defensively.

Her fingers closing around the ticket, she pulled it out of her purse and smiled excitedly when the numbers on the screen matched the ones on her ticket. Her smile disappeared a moment later when the numbers on her ticket literally disappeared, making it seem as though she had purchased a blank ticket.

Her shoulders slumped, defeated.

Bella perked up eagerly. "So?" she asked Phoebe enthusiastically. "Am I getting a cut in your million win or what?"

Phoebe shook her head, frowning, as she held up the blank ticket. "They just disappeared…" she said disappointedly.

Prue smiled smugly. "See, I told you," she reminded Phoebe. "You can't intentionally use your powers for your own personal gain, remember?"

Bella sighed, signaling for the bartender to bring her a glass of sparkling water. "Well, that sucks," she mused aloud.

Phoebe sighed heavily. "It's a good thing I didn't take the tags off the dresses," she tossed the useless ticket aside. "Oh, well…At least that sweet old couple didn't lose their house."

"Dresses!" Prue's smile slipped off completely. "As in plural?"

Phoebe's eyes widened in panic. "Uh…No," she said quickly. "Dress. As in singular." At Prue's skeptical glare, Phoebe gave her the most convincing smile she could muster, "Slip of the tongue, I promise."

Bella laughed and Piper grinned sweetly. "A toast to the Power of Four," she said, raising her glass. Her sisters emulated her action. "Whether we like it or not."

* * *

><p>*Sly grin*. Major points to anyone who knows where 'Teddy Farrow' came from…<p>

Once again, very sorry for how long it took to complete this chapter. I had it ready for weeks (I don't post any parts of Charmed: Redux unless the entire episode has been written out) but I kept forgetting to post this.

You'll be happy to know that I'm already working on the next episode, which will have skipped a few episodes in canon (I know I said I was only going to post one or two episodes first then put this story on hold while I finish my other stories but Charmed: Redux is so addictive to write. I couldn't help it…)

Anyway, forgive my lateness and please leave a line or two to tell me what you thought of this chapter…Thank you so much to all who did last time, and thanks for reading.

Juliet.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I have some terrible news. Last week, my home computer crashed and took with it nearly a hundred unfinished fan-fiction ideas/stories, and over twenty of my own original work, half of them completed. Like the idiot that I am, I didn't save most of them anywhere else. I'm calling a repair man (I need to be sure that I get a good one because I'm so terrified the wrong person could screw this up even worse if possible) but there's a VERY high possibility that everything in my home computer is going to be deleted.

Now, I'm so beyond devastated. I've beaten myself up about not saving it into my laptop as well over and over again. I feel like Sylvia Plath reborn…

The stories that WERE affected by this, unfortunately, does include Charmed: Redux. This next episode is saved because I had it on my laptop while I worked on it but the carefully detailed plan I had for every episode I'd rewrite, from season 1 to 3, is gone. I'm going through the transcripts again to re-start the drafts and I remember what I planned to happen each season so hopefully it won't take me long to get back to where I started.

I can't access my internet at home right now (I am using the computer at my grandmother's house right now) so I'm going to post part 1 & 2 of Charmed: Redux episode 3 at the same time. These are the only 2 parts I've finished so far and though I know I said I won't post any parts until the whole episode's finished, I won't be able to go online until at least a week. I didn't want you to wait longer than you normally would've.

I'm so SO sorry, everyone. Please bear with me through this. I promise I'll work my hardest to get through the episodes…

Please go on and read parts 1 & 2, and feel free to leave a review to tell me what you think. Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Charmed.

* * *

><p><strong>Dream Sorcerer<strong>

It was a laidback Saturday night – the best kind of night there was, in Bella Halliwell's opinion. There was no school the next day, she didn't have to go in to the dojo for any classes and there was no homework for her to worry about since she had just gotten back from a week-long class trip to DC. All she had to do was sit in her sisters' company and have a good time – something that she had sorely missed lately, along with the companionship of a boy or two that she liked.

The only thing that would make the day better was a supernatural crisis banging on their door, just waiting to be vanquished.

She walked in through the doors of Quake, knowing without having been told that all three of her sisters would be there. _Boy, we are seriously in a rut_, she thought wryly as she spotted Piper and Prue sitting together at a table. She grinned when she caught Prue's eye and waved, weaving her way through the crowd to get to her sisters. A quick glance around and she found Phoebe by the bar, smiling flirtatiously as she talked to a handsome man a few years older.

Before she had time to be jealous, two men had descended upon her, a third hovering nearby. All of them were eyeing her as though she was a delicious treat and while her feminist side screamed out in protest, she couldn't help the ego boost the flattering attention brought her. She fought off their tacky pick-up lines with a witty comeback and made sure to sway her hips as she walked off towards her sisters, knowing without having to look that they were watching her leave even after her rejection.

"Oh, I'm so glad you guys are still here," Bella moaned unhappily as she swung her coat over the back of the empty seat and sat down in it. Noticing disgruntledly that their attention was focused elsewhere, she frowned, "What are you staring at?"

Prue gestured towards a couple sitting at the bar behind Bella, and Bella turned to look. "They have been going at it for almost an hour," she informed Bella.

Bella's eyes widened as she caught the two lovebirds heavily making out, just one tiny step away from public indecency. "Hello!" she said loudly, turning away in shock. "Ugh, I can't even look."

"I know," Piper nodded, empathizing with her. "I hate being single."

Bella's eyes were wide as she agreed with Piper, "Tell me about it. Between classes, my martial arts training and photoshoots, I haven't had a single night free for a date." Shaking her head, Bella said morosely, "I'm turning into a spinster at fifteen."

Phoebe had come back to the table, wearing a disgustingly happy smile and holding a glass of martini in her hand, just in time to hear Bella's complain. "Oh, the miserable life of the rich and beautiful," she lamented jokingly as she sat down on the last seat next to Bella and wrapped a comforting arm around her younger sister.

Bella shot her a glare. "Make fun all you want," she sniffed. "But I'm exhausted. I've been back from my trip for barely three days and I've been swamped…I'm not so sure modeling is as glamorous as I thought it was."

She gave Phoebe a haughty look. "And I'm not rich – yet," she corrected her sister with a sly smile at the end.

Piper shared an amused look with Prue but asked anyway, "Thinking of quitting, Bells?"

Bella gave her an incredulous look. "Are you insane?" she asked Piper flatly. "I'm getting paid real money here – plus, my agent said that my next shoot, I'm going to be posing with Jann England." The excitement that had gripped her earlier shot through her again and she gave an excited squeak, the sound muffled through her gritted teeth. At the blank look on her sisters' faces, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You know, the hottest male model rising to stardom? He was on the cover of Mode magazine last month."

Phoebe and Piper nodded. "Ah, right," Phoebe's lips quirked into a sly smile. "The half-naked guy. Very nice…" Piper giggled and swatted Phoebe on the arm, a slight blush on her cheeks at the innuendo in Phoebe's voice.

"Yeah, but if you're too tired…" Prue protested, her smile slipping slightly as she realized with a start that though she hadn't exactly noticed it at the time, these past few days, Bella _had_ been coming home tired. "I don't want you stressing yourself out unnecessarily. Remember our compromise – you can only keep this up if your studies don't suffer."

Bella rolled her eyes. "My studies aren't suffering, okay?" she said, exasperated. "I'm doing great in school."

"But-"

"Prue, let it go," Bella interrupted her. "You're turning my fun night out into a dud."

Prue shot her a glare she didn't mean but otherwise stayed silent.

"Let's talk about something else," Piper suggested cheerfully.

Phoebe nodded. "Yes, lets," she agreed.

Piper folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. "You know, you still haven't told us about your DC trip," Piper reminded Bella.

Bella waved her hand as though to dismiss Piper's question. "Forget _that_," she retorted, eyes sparkling as she gazed at her sisters. "Did Victor really come back to town?"

Prue seemed a little uncomfortable by the subject but Phoebe jumped in eagerly. "Yes, he did," she said, a hint of pride in her voice as she went on to tell Bella all about how their father had come into town and back into their lives with the sole purpose of saving them.

Bella's eyes were wide as she listened to Phoebe's tale. "Wow," she murmured as the story came to a close. "That was pretty…Brave of him."

At Prue's slightly reluctant look, Bella prodded, "Well, I mean, considering he's just a mortal with absolutely no powers whatsoever…Guess the bravery doesn't just come from mom's side of the family, huh?"

Piper nodded. "I guess it is," she mused thoughtfully. "But I think, you know, it wasn't really that he decided to be brave. I think it was the instinct to protect us as his daughters. Fathers have that instinct, right?"

Phoebe nodded, already agreeing, though Prue remained silent and still.

"So, what, is he permanently back or something?" Bella asked, curious. "Are you guys staying in contact?"

Prue, who'd had enough of the discussion, blurted out suddenly, "Piper fell for a ghost."

Though she had grown to not resent Victor's sudden, unannounced reappearance in their lives almost two weeks ago, she had eventually come down from the momentary high caused by another close call with death. Unlike Piper and Phoebe, she hadn't automatically forgiven Victor for his abandonment and for his inability to even show up at Mom's funeral just because he'd suffered a sudden bout of guilt and decided that, after twenty years of absence, he had to step up and become a parent to his grown daughters.

As Victor had made himself scarce once more and as the euphoria of defeating yet another supernatural baddie had slowly vanished, Prue's resentment towards Victor Bennett had returned once more with a vengeance.

Besides, she wasn't as naïve as Piper and Phoebe. She knew Victor couldn't hold his promise of keeping in contact. As it was, it had been nearly two weeks and they hadn't heard a word from him. Her sisters might still be in denial but she was seeing things clearly. If ever the time came, she would save his life if needed because he had done the same for her and the girls, but she didn't owe him anything more than that.

Piper and Phoebe seemed to sense her distress – Piper gave her that patented knowing, sympathizing look that Prue knew only two women could pull off: Piper and their late mother Patty; Phoebe, on the other hand, stared at her, her smile slowly slipping off her face and a slightly hardened edge entering her eyes.

Bella remained oblivious. She gasped and her eyes widened as she stared at Piper. "A ghost?" she asked excitedly. "Whoa, what's the story _there_?"

Piper tuned back in as she half-heartedly caught on that she was the one being addressed. Forcing a slight chuckle, she relayed the story that had occurred days before Prue's birthday.

Bella blinked. "Huh," she murmured. "I leave town for a week and things get interesting…That'll teach me."

Phoebe laughed, propping an elbow on the table and cupping her chin in her palm. "Yes, and the fact that you missed Prue's birthday wasn't a factor at all," she teased airily.

Bella scowled at their laughter. "Hey, I sent her a present," she defended herself. Her eyes trailed over to Prue. "Did you like it?"

Prue actually managed a genuine smile, glad that they had broached safer topics now. "Yes, I did," she assured her sister.

"Good," Bella said happily. Leaning forward with her forearms on the table top, her eyes twinkled almost mischievously as she demanded, "Now tell me how your weekend away with Andy went."

Piper and Phoebe shared a moment of lighthearted laughter as they caught the faint blush creeping on Prue's cheeks. "Like I'm going to tell you, little-miss-fifteen," Prue said without any heat, smiling as she reached out to gently pinch Bella's cheek.

Bella batted her hand away and mocked a scowl. "Hey, I can handle it," she protested.

Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar face maneuvering her way towards their table, a tray balanced steadily in her hand. "Waitress coming through," she said as she moved through the busy crowd. Smiling at the four sisters, Skye announced her presence by saying, "Special delivery."

"Hey, Skye," Piper greeted the waitress, having known the young woman since she had started working at Quake months ago. Phoebe smiled up at the waitress, echoing the sentiment.

Skye grinned at them, "Hi." She placed a napkin on the table and placed the glass of clear, champagne colored liquid on top of it, right in front of Bella.

Bella blinked in shock. "Skye, I think there's been some kind of a mistake," she told the bubbly waitress. "I just got here. I haven't had time to order anything."

"I know," Skye nodded. "You have a secret admirer. He ordered it for you." She smiled as she pointed out a man sitting at a secluded table.

All four Halliwell sisters turned to look in the direction Skye was pointing at. They saw a man, quite a number of years older than Bella by the looks of it. He was almost completely hidden away from their view due to being partially blocked by the occupants of another table. He leaned forward slightly, as though sensing the gaze of the four women, and lifted his glass of beer in greeting, smiling in Bella's direction.

He was a little too far away for Bella to make out his appearances but it didn't matter at all to her. The flattery was nice but she wasn't interested.

"Who's that?" Prue asked. She felt a little protective. She knew Bella could handle herself; in fact, her fifteen year old sister could handle herself far more spectacularly than Prue could most days, but it was still her _fifteen year old sister_ they were talking about. It was her duty, after all, to look out for Bella.

Skye shrugged. "I have no idea," she said, almost apologetic. "I'm just following the bartender's orders. And, apparently, he's been eyeing you since you got here, Bella."

Phoebe squinted her eyes at the man. "How _old_ is he?" she mused.

"Thirty?" Piper made a wild guess.

Prue frowned unhappily. "He knows she's underage, right?" she asked Skye, slightly incensed.

Skye nodded. "He was told that," she assured Prue. "He changed the order from wine to sparkling cider. Quake's best," she said jokingly, nodding at the glass on the table.

Prue scowled.

"He didn't seem bothered that she's not even legal?" Piper asked, slightly amazed by the gall the stranger had. "He didn't care that he's twice as old as her?"

Phoebe snorted. "When has that ever stopped _Bella_ before?" she pointed out, much to Bella' irritation.

Skye shrugged. "It didn't make him pause for a second," she confided.

Bella rolled her eyes at the outraged look her eldest sister was sporting. She forced her glare away from Phoebe and turned her attention to Skye, saying, "Skye, can you do me a favor? Um, tell him thank you and I'm very flattered. But I'm kind of seeing someone else."

Skye nodded. "Sure," she said, picking the glass up and placing it back on the tray.

"Thanks."

Bella did her best to ignore her sisters' piercing gazes but the moment Skye was gone, they were prying answers from her. "Weren't you just complaining that you had no time to date anyone?" Piper pointed out.

"I'm not dating anyone," Bella said defensively. "I just wasn't interested in him and I wanted to let him down easy."

Phoebe, once again, snorted in disbelief. "Bella, please," she scoffed. "You have never once been bothered with letting people down easy, no matter what the circumstance."

Bella glowered at her and made to deny their suspicions once more, but at Piper's knowing smile, Bella sighed, relenting. "There might be a guy," she conceded. "_Might_."

Phoebe gasped, eyes widening. "Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded, brown eyes sparkling excitedly. "Tell me everything."

Bella rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to tell," she insisted. "We met officially on the trip. I hadn't even noticed him around school."

"A guy who isn't too old or inappropriate for you somehow," Prue pretended to be shocked. "That's…incredible."

Piper chuckled. "This is a nice change of attitude," she agreed.

Bella rolled her eyes.

"I'll say," Phoebe grinned. "And you even turned down a free drink and attention from another guy…Does this mean you're thinking of dating this mysterious guy? As in, get in a relationship with him?"

Bella sighed. "No," she said in an almost despondent tone. "I'm way too busy right now."

"But if you could…?" Phoebe prompted.

A happy grin quirked on the corners of Bella's lips before she could stop herself. "Okay, I'd totally go out with him," she confessed in a rush. "But, you know, one potentially disastrous relationship in the family at a time."

She directed a pointed look Prue's way.

Prue, her smile slipping slightly, raised her eyebrows at Bella. "It's not disastrous," she defended, feeling herself flush slightly as she thought of Andy.

Phoebe, Piper and Bella exchanged looks as they noticed the reaction Prue had at the mere mention of her cop maybe-boyfriend.

"Are you blushing?" Bella asked, her tone incredulous.

"No!"

Phoebe ignored her denial. She seemed to think a blush on Prue's cheeks courtesy of a guy was a big deal – Prue was, after all, the hardest sister to satisfy, next to Bella. "Wow," she mused, her tone almost awed. "Does this mean you're thinking of getting serious with Andy?"

Instead of denying it like Bella almost hoped she'd do, Prue blushed a little more, ducked her head to avoid her sister's knowing glare, and admitted, "Lately I've been thinking about a lot of things."

* * *

><p>It was Sunday and one of those rare, magic-free, chaos-free mornings that had started to become rarer and rarer these days. The four Halliwell sisters chose to spend it in different ways.<p>

Bella chose to lounge around in a pair of fitted jogging shorts and a tank top, increasing the phone bill by a mile as she chatted with the 'mysterious boy from school' she'd connected with on her trip – she'd finally called him back after the fifth message he'd left her and they'd fallen back into easy conversation as though they were still in DC.

Phoebe chose to lay back and do absolutely nothing, fixing herself a bowl of cereal to eat while watching mindless Sunday morning TV.

Piper chose to put in the exercise video she'd bought on a whim a few weeks ago when she'd gotten the sudden inspiration to work out and get into better shape (she could admit, at least to herself, that it was a desire facilitated by her youngest sister's a-little-too-gorgeous body), stand in front of the exercise mat she'd bought along with the tape and imitate the actions of the perky brunette on the screen, dumbbells grasped in her hands.

Prue chose to sit back and hide a snicker or two as she alternated between reading the paper and watching Piper, sitting in one of the chairs in the conservatory.

Piper, moving her arms back and forth the way the woman was a few more times, succumbed to her tired limbs, dropping her arms. "Ugh, I give up," she said, dropping onto her hands and knees. She placed the dumbbells aside before laying back on the exercise mat to rest her slightly sore body. "Two weeks and nothing strengthened but my temper."

Prue smiled as she leaned forward, putting the paper aside. "Piper, here's the problem," she said, taking hold of the tape cover on the table. "You didn't read the fine print. It says right here. $19.95 for the video – and twenty grand for the plastic surgeon."

"Yeah, well, it's worked," Piper said tiredly from her spot on the floor. "She's the most desired female in America. What every man wants."

Bella walked into the conservatory, the phone discarded as her call with Max the boy from school had ended. She joined her two sisters just in time to hear Piper's words and they were enough to send little pinpricks of jealousy coursing through her veins. Her eyes found the brunette still moving ridiculously on screen and she rolled her eyes.

"That woman?" she scoffed. "She's hardly the most desired female in America."

Prue smiled amusedly as though she knew the reason behind Bella's words (and she probably did, too; after all, Bella's vanity was no close-guarded secret). "Of course men want her," Prue said to Piper, ignoring Bella's glare. "Men are no different from women. We all want what we can't have which is why we need to stop thinking about what men want and start thinking about what _we_ want in a man."

"Tons of fun, lots of heat, no strings attached," Phoebe said, squeezing herself into their conversation as she walked in with a bowl of Fruit Loops for her breakfast. "That's what I want."

Piper shook her head as she watched her sister take in a mouthful of the sugary cereal. _And she's not even going to get any repercussions from eating nothing but sugar_, Piper grumbled to herself. _As far as genetics go, I say I got the shortest end of the stick in this family_. "I know this may not sound very PC, but I want romance," she declared. "Long, slow kisses, late-night talks, candle lights…I love 'love'. I'd take what Prue has in a flat second."

Prue smiled, humming. "But then you'd have to deal with the family secret which isn't exactly normal now, is it?" she pointed out, standing up and grabbing her empty mug in the pretense of refilling her coffee when she was really sneaking off to check for messages on her phone from Andy.

While she knew she was a grown woman and was older than Bella therefore shouldn't be so skittish about her relationship with Andy in front of the girl, she also knew of Bella's famous temper and wanted none of that that morning.

Besides…She didn't think it was such a good thing for a woman as independent as her to check her phone every twenty minutes in hopes of a message from a man.

Bella sighed, resting her cheek against her palm as she watched her sisters. "You know what I think?" she asked rhetorically, exhaling loudly. "I think it's so messed up that out of all of us, Prue's dating and I can't even find the time for a drive to 'make-out hill' for an hour with Max."

Phoebe snorted into her cereal.

* * *

><p>"So what are you up to today?" Prue asked Phoebe casually as she poured herself another cup of coffee by the kitchen isle.<p>

Phoebe shrugged, unwrapping her strawberry Pop-tart. "Maybe I'll just hang around the house," she said noncommittally, not catching the flash of annoyance that briefly passed through Prue's features since her attention was spent on her toaster strudel. "I don't know. I was thinking of going through the Book a bit more."

Prue suppressed the urge to sigh and hid her frown behind her mug. Sometimes, Phoebe's cavalier attitude grated on her nerves a little too much. She couldn't understand what exactly Phoebe was looking for when she left San Francisco to go to New York and she couldn't understand why, now that she was back, Phoebe couldn't enroll in school once more or at the very least get a job if she felt college wasn't what she wanted at the moment.

Even Bella, just fifteen years old, had more productive days than Phoebe; she had a job, as unorthodox as said job was, she kept busy with school and extracurricular activities and she very rarely let a day go by wasted. Of course, some part of 'big sister Prue' was glad that Bella seemed too busy these days to pay much mind to boys, but the bigger part of her was simply glad that at least Bella wasn't following in the footsteps of their irresponsible sister.

_Don't go there, Prue_, she warned herself. _Don't start an argument we can't get into right now_.

"Congratulate me," Bella demanded cheerfully as she strutted into the kitchen, megawatt smile fully in place.

"Congratulations," Phoebe chirped, not missing a beat.

Prue smiled at her sisters' interaction. "What are we congratulating you for?" she asked Bella.

"Only the fact that my agent called with awesome news – I'm gonna be the cover for next month's issue of _Mode Teen_," Bella said enthusiastically, beaming so widely Prue thought it had to hurt. She seemed to be vibrating on the spot as she relayed the exciting news.

Phoebe grinned. "Wow, really?" she asked, happy for her sister. At Bella's nod, Phoebe reached out and pulled Bella into a hug. "That's really great, Bells."

Bella laughed. "I know!" she sighed happily. "Cover girl for _Mode Teen_, I'm getting my black belt later on today and Max called again. I'm having, like, _the_ best Monday ever."

Phoebe laughed, shaking her head at Bella's antics.

"I'm happy for you," Prue said to Bella, her reaction a little more subdued than Phoebe's.

Bella grinned, reaching out to grab an apple from the fruit bowl. She walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet, running the shiny red fruit underneath the running water for a quick wash. "Thanks," she couldn't seem to stop smiling. "It was a toss-up between me and this other girl…She was really good, and she's been doing this a lot longer than me, but I'm glad my worries were unfounded."

Phoebe shot Prue a look. "Remember when high school was about trying not to flunk the Geometry test and worrying about that cute boy in English class noticing you?" she asked her eldest sister a teasing look.

"Oh, those were the days," Prue commented wryly.

"Speaking of tests," Bella said, reaching into her book bag and pulling out the file she kept all her documents in to keep them from getting crumpled up – after living with Piper for fifteen years, some of her habits had to rub off on Bella. "I forgot to give this to you before leaving for my trip and Mrs. Hastings will want that in today."

Prue took the paper and noted the 'A+' written in red at the top with no surprise whatsoever; English Lit _was_, after all, Bella's favorite subject. She signed the test to show that she had seen it and acknowledged her sister's grade and handed the paper back to Bella. "Good job," she praised.

Bella beamed, "Thanks."

Piper bustled into the room, looking far too harried when it was only seven fifteen in the morning. Her arms were overloaded with thick files and her bag slung over one shoulder seemed to overflow with things. "I can't believe I overslept," Piper fretted.

"Overslept?" Phoebe questioned. "Honey, it's seven fifteen."

Piper nodded. "I know."

"In the morning," Phoebe clarified.

Piper threw her a glare. "I know," she repeated through gritted teeth. "I managed to finish only half of these last night," she gestured towards the files in her arms. "I was supposed to wake up early and finish the rest before having to go in but now that plan's screwed so…"

"Piper, you need to relax," Prue said soothingly.

Bella snorted. "Now you know it's serious when _Prue's_ saying 'relax'," she joked.

Both Prue and Piper threw Bella glares to show how much they didn't appreciate her ill humor. "I feel like every time Monday morning rolls around, you're as frantic as if it was in the middle of lunch rush on the weekend," Prue continued.

Piper shrugged. "Well, what can I say, I'm just dedicated to my work," she retorted.

"Or dedicated to getting high blood pressure in your twenties," Bella quipped, biting into her apple.

Piper glared at her. "I've got ten minutes to get out the door – do you want me to send you to school?" she asked.

Bella shook her head. "I'd arrive way too early," she declined. "Besides, Max is picking me up later."

Piper nodded. She gave Bella a quick kiss on the cheek. "Okay, I'm gonna go," she said, waving to her sisters and hurrying out the door.

Phoebe grabbed her Pop-tarts from the toaster and placed them on the plate she'd grabbed earlier. Like a sixth sense, she could feel the impending argument between Bella and Prue. It was probably why Piper had scurried out of the house a full ten minutes early to get to a job that was running her down.

"I'm gonna go watch some TV," Phoebe announced to the silent room, spinning on her heel and walking out the kitchen without a glance backwards.

Prue raised an eyebrow. "Max, huh?" she said.

Bella shrugged but said nothing in response to that.

Unfortunately, Prue was the kind of sister who'd pry whenever she wasn't entirely approving of her younger sisters' decisions. "Is that really a good thing? Dating someone?" she asked.

"Hi – does the name Andy ring any bells?" Bella glared.

Prue shook her head. "That's different," she said cajolingly. "We've known Andy forever."

"Not well enough," Bella protested. "Didn't you just tell me of the shocking discovery you made not a week ago about Andy's wife?"

"_Ex_-wife," Prue stressed. "And that's not the point."

"Sure it is," Bella countered. "You can't compare teen-Andy with adult-Andy, Prue. People change, especially when almost a decade's passed."

Prue gave her a look. "At least he's not a total stranger," she pointed out.

"You never cared if I dated before," Bella tossed her apple core away, crossing her arms under her chest. "Why start now?"

"You've never showed so much interest in a guy before," Prue shrugged.

Bella frowned. "Yes I have," she argued. "I've dated a lot of guys since we got our powers. I've had to show interest in them to date them."

"Not as much interest as you're showing this Max guy," Prue insisted stubbornly. "You get bored easily. I can't remember the last guy you spent more than three days with. But you spent over a week with him in DC then you come back and you can't get off the phone talking to him all day yesterday…"

"Is this about the phone bill?" Bella frowned. "I'll cover the calls."

Prue exhaled slowly. "No, it's not about the bill," she assured Bella. "I just think it's dangerous that you're thinking of getting close to a guy. At least, with Andy, I know he's human. What do you know about Max?"

"I know that he's cute and fun and that's all it'll ever be," Bella stated firmly. "Look, our situations are different, Prue. As much as I like Max's company, I'm not gonna fall for him and I'm not gonna wanna tell him our big bad secret. I know it'll never amount to more than a casual fling and I'm keeping my distance."

She picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder. Fixing Prue with a knowing stare, she added, "_You're_ already falling for Andy again and you're most definitely thinking of telling him our big bad secret one day."

"I'll wait with Phoebe for Max to pick me up," she said unnecessarily, stepping out of the kitchen and leaving Prue with her disgruntled thoughts.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Charmed or Twilight.

* * *

><p>Piper was stressed before Quake even opened their doors for the breakfast crowd Monday morning.<p>

Don, one of the chefs in the kitchen, had called in sick at the last possible moment (though she was pretty certain she'd heard a female giggle in the background as he coughed into her ear over the phone) and an hour into trying her hand at waitressing for the first time, Piper realized that Skye wasn't going to pick up the phone or miraculously show up for work.

Bustling out of the kitchen, a plate of food in her hand, she hurriedly made her way towards a table where one of Quake's many regulars was sitting, engrossed in his paperwork as he waited for his meal.

"Here you go, Mr. Mannford," Piper said with as much gusto as she could manage in her weary state. She placed the plate on a small spot on the table which was free of papers and files. "The chicken with rice and vegetables – just the way you like it. Chicken well done, light oil on the vegetables and rice steamed dry."

"Thanks," Mr. Mannford replied distractedly, not even lifting his head from his work to glance at her.

Piper sighed. "Bon Appétit," she muttered, turning away from his table. Seeing a table littered with dirty plates and glasses, she started clearing it. She was taken by surprise by Phoebe who walked up to her with a confused smile.

"Hey," Phoebe greeted her. "Why are you doing that?" she nodded at the dirty dishes in Piper's hand.

"Skye didn't show up for her shift today so we're short-handed," Piper said, a little attitude seeping into her tone due to how harried she was.

"Oh," Phoebe winced sympathetically. Piper turned to head back to the kitchen. Phoebe quickly jogged ahead of Piper to push open the kitchen door for Piper.

"So what's up?" Piper asked, already knowing by the excited glean in Phoebe's eyes that her sister hadn't come by just to lend a helping hand.

Phoebe, grinning mischievously, followed after Piper as she headed towards the sink. "I, uh…" She paused, looking around to make sure that no one was listening before leaning closer to Piper and speaking in a slightly lowered voice, "I found this spell. 'How to Attract a Lover'."

Piper placed the dirty dishes in the sink, her head turned sharply towards Phoebe as she heard her sister's words. Shaking her head at the unspoken implication, she turned to face her. "No, Phoebe," she said firmly. "Forget it. We're not casting any spells."

Phoebe's shoulders drooped slightly in disappointment. Of course, being Phoebe, she couldn't let it go just like that. She _had_ to at least _try_ and convince Piper. "Come on," she cajoled. "There must be more to our powers than warlock-wasting. I'm ready to have some fun with our magic."

"No," Piper was adamant. "No personal gain, remember?"

Phoebe kept her face blank as she retorted, "How is it personal gain if we're using our powers to bring happiness to another person?"

Piper gave her a clearly disbelieving look.

Phoebe's poker face cracked and she gave Piper a huge, salacious grin. "And in my case, lots and lots of happiness," she said in an innuendo-heavy tone.

Piper ignored that. "Could you pass me that colander, please?" she asked, hoping Phoebe would just drop it.

Of course, that was a silly hope because the moment the colander was in Piper's hands Phoebe was talking a mile a minute once more, trying her best to convince Piper.

"Look, I'm not talking about marriage here," Phoebe was one step behind Piper as she headed towards a work station. "We have our thirties to freak out about that. This…" the two of them reached the station and Phoebe lowered her voice when one of the chefs passed by her. "This spell is about having a good time."

Noticing the reluctant expression still on Piper's face, Phoebe hit below the belt, "I just think we need some fun in our lives, Piper. Prue's got Andy and our fifteen year old sister who is so swamped with life that she barely has enough time to get six hours of sleep a day is running around with a potential love interest…Doesn't it bother you that we've reached a stagnant point in our love lives? This spell could help us, if only for a while…Just to inspire us a little."

Piper sighed. "I admit it's tempting," she admitted hesitantly. "The dating scene can be a little frustrating. But bringing men into our life through a spell?" she sounded slightly incredulous. "Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that a little bit desperate?"

"No!" Phoebe looked horrified at the thought. "How is asking for what you want being desperate? I say it's not. I say it's empowering."

Seeing that Piper wasn't entirely convinced, Phoebe grinned and gave the final, enticing blow, "Besides…The Book of Shadows says we could reverse the spell at any time."

Finally – much to Phoebe's triumph – Piper's tensed shoulders relaxed and it was clear that she was contemplating going through with the spell. Phoebe waited on baited breath for Piper's decision.

At long last, Piper sighed, dropping her head in defeat as she gave in. "Fine," she agreed on an almost-grumble. "We'll do it. I'll get Davey to cover for me for the dinner rush tonight."

Phoebe gave a tiny squeal of excitement. "Great!" she said enthusiastically. Almost skipping around the work station, she made her way towards Piper. "I'll go get all the things we need for spell. Meet you back at the house at seven?"

At Piper's nod, Phoebe pressed a quick kiss to Piper's cheek and bounced out of the room, throwing a happy, "Bye!" over her shoulder.

Piper sighed. "Right," she muttered to herself, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. She sincerely hoped she wasn't going to regret this decision. Of course, there was a high probability that she would.

"Piper," Jenny, one of her wait staff, called out to her. "Table six is requesting to see the manager. I think they're unhappy about something…"

Piper sighed unhappily. _On the bright side, I have six hours left to change my mind. On the downside, if the day keeps going in this same terribly dull, migraine-inducing manner, I might not want to listen to reason_.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately for Piper, the day had gone as terribly as it had before Phoebe's unannounced visit and she hadn't changed her mind.<p>

Prue had come in for a late lunch with Andy and Bella had arrived not too long after to have a thirty-minute coffee-break-slash-make-out-session with Max (who barely unglued his face from Bella's to say hello to Piper) before having to rush over to the dojo for karate. Seeing her sisters being so happy with their 'maybe boyfriends' made her wish for more in her life than being harassed by her boss' unrealistic demands and nightmarish flashbacks of her warlock ex-boyfriend.

She'd tried to convince herself not to go through with the spell – she and Prue were the last Halliwell sisters to actually accept their destinies as witches; whereas Prue was in denial over change in their lives, Piper was more worried about what magical powers meant when it came to the purity of her soul and the goodness of her heart; it was ridiculous to think that she would join Phoebe in being so careless with magic – but Phoebe's arguments actually made sense to her and by the time she pulled up in the driveway, she'd convinced herself that nothing would go bad.

_Besides_, she thought to herself as she stood in the kitchen, chopping up the ingredients for the spell. _If anything goes wrong, we could reverse the spell no problem_.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts, the instructions for the spell ringing through her mind, that she didn't hear the front door opening and closing. She jumped, startled, when Prue walked towards the kitchen, her voice carrying as she called out, "Piper? Phoebe?"

Piper panicked for a few moments – Prue's voice sounded too close for Piper to hide the evidence. _Dammit, sometimes I wish my power works on good witches_, she grumbled silently. She turned her head towards the kitchen entrance just in time to catch Prue walking in, thick file in hand.

"Prue," she said, surprise seeping into her voice. "You're home." She placed the knife on top of the counter next to the cutting board. "I-I, uh, I thought you had a date with Andy?"

She was certain of that, in fact. In her paranoid desire to ensure that neither Prue nor Bella (the toughest two Halliwells, when it came right down to it) were around when she and Phoebe cast the spell, she had called both of them before heading out of Quake to go home.

Prue had informed her of a date with Andy and Bella had told her that she was already on her way for a fitting for next week's fashion show and would be back late since there was going to be a rehearsal after dinner.

"Uh, no, he had to cancel," Prue replied, coming to stand by the island and putting the file on top of the counter. She frowned, looking around at the ingredients Piper had laid out on the table. She couldn't smell anything that would indicate edible food. "What are you doing?"

Piper's eyes widened in panic. She looked behind her at the various ingredients on the table and the large pot she'd placed on the stove. "Umm…" she hummed in an attempt to prolong answering Prue's question.

Her efforts were in vain, however, because Phoebe's voice carried over to them at that exact moment, revealing more than Piper would like.

"Piper, I was wrong," Phoebe called out loudly. Piper saw Phoebe entering the kitchen and gestured wildly for her younger sister to quit talking but Phoebe's eyes were fixed on the Book of Shadows she was carrying and she didn't see Piper's warning. "The spell calls for cayenne pepper, not black pepper."

She looked up and she gasped, her eyes grew round in shock when she saw Prue, standing there with a suspicious, wary look on her face. "Ooh," she winced. "Did I say spell? I-I meant recipe…"

Prue quirked an eyebrow, staring disbelievingly at her younger sister who had her arms around the Book.

Phoebe grimaced at Prue's icy poker face. "We are so busted, aren't we?" she asked, defeated.

Prue nodded, smiling briefly. "I would say yes," she answered dryly. "What spell are you casting?" she asked, her voice as icy as her eyes.

Phoebe smiled nervously, shaking her head and lifted her hand, her forefinger and thumb stuck out with barely an inch between them to show just how insignificant the spell would be while mouthing the word, "Little."

Piper, eager to dissuade a possible oncoming fight, quickly explained, "I realized today that Phoebe may have stumbled onto something – something that actually makes sense."

Prue looked at Piper as though she had lost her mind. "Now I'm worried," she quipped, watching Piper take off her checkered apron.

Phoebe frowned at Prue's words, huffing slightly. On one hand, she wasn't at all surprised that Prue felt that way. On the other hand, she felt like these past few weeks had been an incredible milestone in pulling the sisters together and couldn't help but be shocked by the low opinion Prue still had of her.

Piper took off her apron and quickly put it aside. "All the spells are in this book for a reason, right?" she said, hoping to appeal to Prue's logic. "And I think that this spell could be a harmless opportunity for us to test our powers. You know, really get a handle on them." Phoebe slowly, discreetly, nodded her head in encouragement at Piper's words.

However, Phoebe winced when Piper went off tangent, her anxiety causing her to babble. "I mean, why else would it say we can reverse it at any time? All I want is someone special in my life and this spell provides that exactly."

Prue narrowed her eyes, suspicion and confusing mixing uncomfortably in her belly. She didn't really understand what Piper was babbling about but none of what she'd said sounded any good. Prue turned expectant eyes on Phoebe.

"I can translate," Phoebe offered with a placating smile.

Prue let out a long breath. "Let me sit first," she said, making her way to the kitchen table. "I have a feeling I need to sit for this."

Almost warily – though she kept a cheerful attitude as she spoke in a vain attempt at psyching Prue up about the spell – Phoebe explained how she had found the spell in the book. She described what the spell did, how innocent it was and how it was, as Piper had mentioned, easily reversible.

Prue stared at her two sisters with an incredulous expression on her face as Phoebe talked. "You have got to be kidding," she muttered when Phoebe finally stopped, hopeful half-smiles, half-grimaces on their faces.

"We were hoping you would join us," Piper confessed, herbs and other ingredients needed for the spell cradled in her arms.

Prue shook her head. "No," she replied instantly, not needing to think of her answer. "I have got enough complications in my life. You two are on your own."

Just as Phoebe and Piper were about to turn and walk away, Prue's voice halted them in their steps. "Wait," Prue called out suddenly. "You two _are_ on your own, right? Bella isn't doing this as well?"

Piper shook her head. "She's not even home," she told Prue.

"I asked her when I came home a few hours ago," Phoebe said, noticing the small furrow between Prue's eyebrows. Their older sister was no doubt wondering where Bella this time of night. "After a few insulting comments about how desperate Piper and I must be getting and how much fun she was going to have saying 'I told you so' when this backfires, and a few self-complimentary ones about how she was too beautiful to need a spell to attract anyone's attention, she told me she was leaving to go make out with Max."

Piper rolled her eyes at that, and Prue hid a smile.

"Right, well," Prue blinked, not at all fazed by Bella's vanity. At this particular moment, Bella was even saner than Piper and Phoebe. "That's good. At least only two of my sisters are going through with this insane idea."

Piper gestured to the ingredients in her grasp. "We're going up right now…Last chance, Prue," she offered.

Prue smiled. "No thanks," she stuck to her answer. "I'll take my chances without it."

"You know where to find us," Phoebe threw over her shoulder as she and Piper walked out of the kitchen.

"Be careful what you wish for," Prue called out in a sing-song voice.

Neither Phoebe nor Piper stopped, and Prue could hear them hurrying up the stairs from where she sat. Sighing, Prue dropped her gaze to the table and shook her head. _Well, this has all the potential makings of a spell backfire_, she thought dryly.

She jumped slightly when she heard the front door closing. Rising up from her seat, she walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway, meeting up with Bella just as she entered the living room, library bag slung over one shoulder and a stack of books carried in one arm.

"Hey," Prue greeted her, trying to keep the suspicion out of her voice. "Where have you been? It's eight o'clock."

Bella threw her a look. "And suddenly I have a curfew again?" she asked, dropping down onto the couch and shrugging her bag strap off her shoulder.

Prue glared, hands on her hips. "You do when you don't have any school-related activity or any Teddy Farrow-related event lined up for the night," she said icily. "You didn't even bother to tell us where you were."

"I told Phoebe."

Prue rolled her eyes. "All you said was that you were going to meet up with some guy we've never met," she reminded Bella.

Bella sighed. "Would you relax and quit with the lecturing?" she complained. "I've had a long day and you're just stressing me out further. I _cannot_ break out right now, Prue. I've got a show next week."

"You've never once had a pimple in your life," Prue replied instantly. "Now where were you?"

"At the library," Bella answered. At Prue's disbelieving look, Bella threw her hands up in frustration. "What do you want, an alibi? I've got a project due Monday."

Prue narrowed her eyes. "I thought you were meeting Max?"

Bella nodded. "I did – he's my lab partner," she grinned.

Prue rolled her eyes.

"What?" Bella defended. "I don't have a lot of time to date right now. At least this way, we can still sort of see each other."

Prue sighed. "Fine, whatever," she said tiredly. "Just…Tell me if you're not going to be home until late, okay?"

"You were in a meeting all day."

"Then leave a message."

Bella sighed in a long-suffering manner. "Fine. But I've been out later before," Bella pointed out.

Prue nodded. "And, like I said, those nights you have something planned for school or a fashion show or something. At least then I know where you are and what you're doing," she replied.

"Okay, mom," Bella said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Prue ignored the pang in her heart at Bella's words. "Okay," she repeated, a teasing smile forming on her lips stress started to leave her body.

* * *

><p>Phoebe and Piper sat together at their altar table, eight candles lit up just like it said in the Book, a steaming cauldron at the center of the table with the ingredients already poured in. Now all they had to do was read out the desired qualities in their perfect man and place the papers into the cauldron.<p>

"Okay," Phoebe said as she held up her finished list. "You wanna go first?"

"No," Piper declined immediately. "You go first."

"Okay," Phoebe agreed easily. The moment Piper looked away, distracted, Phoebe snatched Piper's list from her hands.

Piper gasped. "Hey!" she protested. "That's not fair!"

Phoebe chuckled deviously. Ignoring Piper, she started to read her sister's list, "You want a man who is single, smart…Endowed?" she squinted at the paper to make sure she was seeing it right before giving Piper a skeptical look.

Piper scowled. "Employed," she corrected Phoebe.

"Oh!" Phoebe squinted at the paper once more and nodded. "Sorry. Employed…A man who loves sleeping in on Sunday, sunset bike rides…" She let out a laugh at that. "Cuddling by a roaring fire," she laughed more heartily.

Piper, even though she was blushing, held her head up high, refusing to be embarrassed by her desires.

Phoebe continued to laugh as she carried on reading Piper's list. "And late night talks. A man who loves love as much as you do," Phoebe shook her head, chuckling. "_Wow_. You're a romantic."

"Yep," Piper replied, and swiftly changed the subject by snatching Phoebe's list from the table. "Your turn."

Piper read from the paper, "You want the sexy, silent type that finds you driving through town on the back of a Harley at three o'clock in the morning." Phoebe nodded in agreement as Piper read on, a dreamy look on her face as she pictured her faceless lover. "A man who appreciates scented candles, body oils and Italian sheets…"

Piper giggled as Phoebe plucked the paper from her fingers and begun to read in a ridiculous deep voice, "He's about hunger and lust and danger, and even though you know all this, even though you know he'll never meet your friends or share a holiday meal with your family, you still can't stay away…"

Piper laughed at Phoebe's hilarious exaggerations.

"And he recycles," Phoebe tacked on at the end in her normal tone of voice.

"He recycles?" Piper asked incredulously. _After all of that nonsense, she adds _that_?_

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah," she replied cheerfully. She begun to fold her list to make it fit inside the small pouch they'd have to place inside the cauldron. "And I think it goes without saying we both want a man who is well…" she chuckled darkly, her laughter full of innuendo, before suddenly becoming serious. "Employed."

Piper rolled her eyes as Phoebe placed both rolled up lists inside the black pouch. "You're seriously twisted," she told Phoebe. She looked down at the Book placed on the table in front of them. "This is the spell we have to say?" she asked dubiously, staring at the ridiculous rhyme.

Phoebe nodded as she pulled the straps on either side of the pouch to tighten it close. "Yeah," she said in a slightly less excited tone. "We're lucky. If we were men looking for women, the spell requires putting a piece of honey cake in a sweaty armpit for days," she laughed and tossed the pouch into the steaming cauldron.

"Ew," Piper wrinkled her nose. _What's a few silly lines compared to that_, she convinced herself. "I think we can say this," she agreed.

Phoebe nodded, "Okay."

With a smile shared between them, they begun to recite the spell, "I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I am the Queen, you're the Bee, as I desire so shall it be."

Wind appeared from nowhere and blew around the room, causing the steam from the cauldron to billow around them. The pages of the Book began to flip slightly thanks to the wind, and their hair whipped around them as they chanted.

Kit, who had followed them up the stairs and had perched herself on the chair right behind the two sisters, perked up at the obvious magic flowing around the room.

Piper and Phoebe repeated the spell once more, as instructed in the Book of Shadows. The steam grew a little more prominent and Piper, who kept her eyes wide and alert throughout the incantation, thought she saw something red forming into a hazy heart in the air above the table before it suddenly disappeared into thin air along with the steam.

Kit meowed disgruntledly in the background.

"You think it worked?" Phoebe asked Piper.

"I don't know," Piper replied honestly. "The big spells usually require all four of us."

Before they could get too deflated, the phone rang downstairs. Piper and Phoebe shared an excited look before jumping to their feet and rushing out the attic door. Kit stared after them with a frown on her feline face.

They both ran down the stairs and into the hallway where Bella had answered the phone.

"Is it for me? Is it for me?" Phoebe asked.

Bella held up a hand to quiet Phoebe. Prue came into the hallway from the living room as she'd heard the commotion of Piper and Phoebe's entrance. She was about to ask about the spell when she caught the look on Bella's face.

"This is Bella," Bella said into the phone, frowning. "Who is this?"

The man on the other line answered in a strange, too-calm voice, "My name is Whitaker Berman."

Bella's eyebrows furrowed together. _Whitaker Berman? I don't know anyone by that name…Then again, I'm not great with names_. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Yeah," the man replied. "We met at Quake…Well, we didn't actually meet. I sent you a glass of cider and you sent it back."

Bella froze up. _What? Wait a minute…How did he reach me? I didn't even talk to him and I know Skye wouldn't have told him anything…_

She was jolted out of her thoughts as she heard him continue to speak, "Still, you know, I was wondering…Maybe you'd like to go out sometime."

Bella frowned, her alarm bells ringing like crazy in her mind. "Okay, what part of 'no' didn't you get?" she snapped at him. "And how did you get this number – and my name? You know, last I checked, stalking was a crime!"

Prue shared a worried look with Piper and stepped a little closer to Bella. She almost reached out and snatched the phone away from her little sister, but Bella's frown deepened as she called out, "Hello!" into the phone before shaking her head and hanging up.

"Who is it?" Piper asked worriedly.

Bella shook her head, scowling. "That guy from Quake who sent me a drink," she answered.

Piper frowned. "What did he want?"

Prue spoke before Bella could. "How did he get our house number?" she glared at the phone as though it would break under her icy stare and start confessing.

Bella shrugged. "He asked me out," she said to Piper, then turned to look at Prue. "He hung up on me when I asked," she said in reply to Prue's question. At Prue's concerned frown, Bella sighed. "Oh, Prue, don't look so worried. It's just a guy with a creepy crush. I can handle it."

Prue didn't look too sure about that and made a mental note to talk to Andy about it when she talked to him tomorrow – when it came to demonic, supernatural baddies, she and her sisters could handle it but she was sure this guy was a normal, human stalker and this was Andy's specialty.

Not wanting to scare Bella, Prue tried her best to school her features and nodded her head. "Alright," she said quietly.

Phoebe, sensing that the potential crisis had been averted, turned on her heel and headed to the foyer. She grabbed her coat off the coat rack and put in on.

"Um, hello? Missy May, where are you going?" Prue asked as she stared at Phoebe's actions.

Phoebe grinned. "I'm going to Quake to see if my spell worked," she replied with an excited bounce.

Bella let her head drop back and let out a small groan. "Oh, my God, you two actually went through with it?" she shook her head disgustedly. "Spinsters before thirty – such a tragedy."

Phoebe ignored her. "Want to join me?" she asked Piper and Prue.

Piper shook her head. "Pass," she said, convinced that the spell hadn't worked.

"No, thanks," Prue said amusedly. "I've got a ton of paperwork to do."

Phoebe sighed at her sisters' unadventurous attitudes, buttoned up her coat, grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

Bella rolled her eyes as Prue and Piper smiled fondly in Phoebe's direction. "And I'm going to pamper myself with an aromatherapeutic bath…" she sighed contentedly. Turning to Prue, she pulled her best puppy dog expression. "Can I use your bathroom, Prue? All the good stuff's in there…"

Prue pretended to consider for a long moment, causing Bella to clasp her hands pleadingly and widen her eyes dramatically. Prue laughed and nodded her head. "Sure," she grinned, wrapping an arm around Bella's shoulders as the two of them headed for the stairs. "As long as you don't mind the TV on in my room."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Bella had her long mahogany tresses pulled up into a messy bun atop her head and was soaking in vanilla and lavender scented bath water. The lights were turned down and sweet-smelling candles were lit all over the room. She could barely hear the sound of the nine o'clock news in the room next door.<p>

The bath salts were working magic and the tub was more comfortable than she remembered. Her stress and weariness from a whole week's worth of endless hard work melted away and she closed her eyes, resting the back of her head against the cool head of the tub.

She must have dozed off at some point because she didn't hear him coming into the bathroom, nor did her senses go into alert the way they normally did when an unwanted presence was nearby, which she found odd.

"Hello, Beautiful Bella," he said, in that same calm drawl she vaguely remembered. He reached out to caress her cheek with his glove-covered hand. His touch and his voice woke her up with a jolt.

She started and almost sat upright before remembering that she wasn't exactly decent at the moment. One peek told her the bubbles hadn't disappeared, which she was thankful for.

She turned to look at the intruder. Not recognizing him immediately, she gave him an icy glare. "Who the hell…" she started to ask, but he interrupted her, somehow finishing her question for her.

"…Am I and how did I get in?" he sounded mocking, which she didn't like at all.

_Lucky guess_, Bella thought spitefully. "I don't care," she growled. "Just get the hell-"

"Out of the bathroom?" he interrupted again.

Bella tried to move her body. _If I move fast enough, I'd blur at superhuman speed and I won't be giving the stranger a peek down main street_. Her eyebrows furrowed together when her limbs felt too heavy and her muscles felt too weak, as though she was far too tired to move, like someone had pumped morphine into her system.

Suddenly feeling panicked, she did the next best thing. "Prue, help!" she yelled. To her shock, the stranger yelled out the same thing at the same time she did, as though he knew exactly what she was going to say next.

Bella reached out and grabbed a towel she had placed earlier next to the tub, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Scream all you want," the stranger said, as he reached for the towel at the same time even though his eyes never left her face. "No one can help you."

Bella pressed the towel to her front, covering her body up through the water. "How did you…?" she started to ask, but once more, he'd interrupted her and finished her question for her.

"Know what you're thinking and know what you're going to say?" he asked.

Bella nodded, feeling too helpless for her liking. "Yes," she spat out, glaring at him balefully.

To her disgust, the stranger closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as though reveling in her fear. "I'm in your unconscious," he informed her as his eyes flew open. "I know your every thought and desire…"

If that was true, then not only did he know of her fantasy about Max right before he'd showed up, then he'd also heard her think about using her supernatural power against him earlier. Her embarrassment was far overpowered by her anger and her need to protect her family's secret.

"Who the hell are you?" Bella asked through gritted teeth.

The stranger reached out and gently brushed back a strand of stray hair that had fallen out of her bun. Bella jerked her head away defiantly. "I'm the man of your dreams," he murmured.

"Like hell you are."

He laughed, and the sound seemed malicious to her. "Oh, but I am," he argued with her amusedly, as though this was funny to him somehow. "I'm the one running the show here, Beautiful Bella, even if we are in your mind."

"You're not real," Bella told him, hoping he was just a figment of her imagination, a thing from her nightmares. "You don't exist."

The stranger smiled. "That's what your grandmother used to say, isn't it?" his words shocked her.

_How did he know!_

"Every night before you went to sleep?"

She ignored him and continued to chant, her eyes closed tightly, "You're not real. You don't exist."

"As she tucked you in?" the stranger continued, his voice overlapping hers as he spoke as the same time. "She'd say if you saw any monsters, to tell yourself they weren't real."

"You're not real, you don't exist," Bella hated that she was starting to panic even more, and she hated how her voice sounded close to tears. She felt cornered – she couldn't use her power, she couldn't call for her sisters and there was a strange man in her bathroom, telling her all sorts of things he shouldn't know about her.

She opened her eyes as she felt him drawing nearer. She flinched as he grabbed her loofah, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "They didn't exist?" The loofah in his hand brushed against her bare back.

Bella felt the sudden urge to run, and she tried to get up from the tub, but her whole body felt as though it was locked in place. She couldn't even feel her limbs, unlike before. "I can't move," she said, panicked. "Why can't I move?"

The stranger laughed in her ear. "Because I'm going to love you to death," he murmured, the soft tone of his voice contradicting his wicked words.

Bella threw him a glare. _Running has never been my style, she argued with her fear. I've always fought and I'll fight now_. She opened her mouth, ready to threaten him.

"You son of a bitch-" she started to say, but her words were cut off by her own scream of pain when the stranger ran the loofah down her back. The loofah felt like there were spikes hidden in the soft sponge and, as it moved down her flesh, she could feel it tearing into her skin.

The stranger was an even bigger sadist than she gave him credit for because as she writhed in pain, his voice mixed with hers as he mimicked her cries of pain. She felt his hand on her shoulder before he pressed down, hard, and pushed her head under water. She struggled against his grip but it was useless. She thrashed around in an attempt to break through to the surface but his grip was too tight.

Just as Bella thought that this was the end for her, she heard a loud rapping noise as though someone was knocking on a wooden door. Suddenly, the strong hand keeping her head under water was no longer there and Bella's hands and legs flailed as she sat up quickly, gasping for breath and wiping the soapy bubbles from her face.

She looked around and saw that the bathroom was now lighter and though the towel was still clasped to her body, the loofah was dry and untouched next to the tub, blood-free.

_It was a dream?_ Bella thought to herself, shocked that she would have such a sick imagination. Then again, she was beyond relieved that the nightmare hadn't been real. _Of course it wasn't real, _she sighed_. How could anyone walk into the house and get past both Prue and Piper?_

There was another few knocks on the door before it was pushed open. Prue stuck her head in, a worried look on her face. "Bella, are you okay?" she asked.

Bella wiped away the rest of the soap from her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied dully.

Prue narrowed her eyes. "You were yelling," she pointed out unnecessarily.

Bella blinked a few times, unable to meet Prue's eyes. "Yeah…I had a…I had a really bad…Thing," she muttered, still feeling off-balance.

"A thing?" Prue repeated skeptically.

Bella nodded. "Yeah," she ran a hand down her wet, slicked back hair. "I'm okay now, I promise."

Prue stared at her for a few seconds before nodding. She was about to retreat and close the door when her eyes caught side of the glaring red marks on Bella's back. She gasped in horror and took another step into the room instead.

"Bella!" she said, and the horrified tone she wore made Bella look up. "What happened?"

Bella frowned at Prue, confused. "What do you mean?" she asked. Prue's wide eyes were fixed on something on Bella's back. Warily, Bella straightened her spine and turned to look over her shoulder. The movement caused her to pull her muscles slightly and irritate the fresh wound on her back. "Ow…"

Petrified, Bella stood up, wet towel clinging to her body and keeping her covered from the chest down. Prue rushed and grabbed a dry towel to wrap around the shivering girl's body under her arms.

Bella made her way to the bathroom mirror and winced as she turned around and looked over her left shoulder. Her mouth fell open as she saw the angry red claw marks on her back, right where the stranger had hurt her in her dream. The scars were fresh and still bleeding slightly, standing out spectacularly against Bella's creamy, porcelain skin.

"Oh, my God," she whispered. Her eyes found Prue's in the mirror and they shared a terrified look.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Charmed or Twilight.

* * *

><p>Prue wouldn't let Bella sleep on her own after the incident. How was she supposed to be comfortable with letting her little sister go off on her own after she had just been attacked just three feet away from where Prue had been sitting?<p>

"Prue," Bella hissed as her sister gently dabbed peroxide on her recently cleaned wound. "You're being ridiculous. I can handle myself."

Prue glared at her through the bathroom mirror. "Does this look like you handled yourself?" Prue demanded almost angrily. "No, okay? We don't know who he was or what he was. He could attack again tonight and I don't want to risk you being alone when he does."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Once again, I think I was asleep when he attacked," Bella insisted.

"So you dreamed it?" Prue asked sarcastically. "We're imagining this wound on your back?"

Bella glared at Prue's reflection. "Okay, first of all, only one of us is allowed to be bitchy in this household and I have rights reserved until I die," she snapped, causing Prue to roll her eyes as she reached for the gauze. "And secondly, I didn't say it didn't happen. I'm just saying that it happened in my dream."

Prue frowned. "What do you mean? He entered your mind and attacked you in your dreams?" she asked skeptically, taping up the wound with gauze. "Is that even possible?"

Bella shrugged before wincing at the slight pain from pulling at her injured shoulder blade. "What's not possible with magic?" she reminded Prue, lifting the strap of her tank top back over her shoulder.

"Right," Prue blew out a breath. "Well, maybe I can't physically stop him but I can be there to make sure you'd wake up at the slightest hint of a bad dream."

Bella sighed in frustration. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?" she asked her sister knowingly.

"Nope."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Fine," she agreed finally. "But I'm watching reruns of Xena until I fall asleep."

The night passed without incident, barring an irritated Prue snatching the remote from Bella and switching off the television in the middle of the fifth Xena episode at three thirty in the morning.

At five forty-five, Prue woke up trapped underneath Bella's body as the younger girl's limbs spread out all over the bed. After pushing at Bella's body for ten minutes, Prue finally managed to get herself out. Huffing from the exertion, Prue glared at Bella's prone, sleeping body. Bella was unaware as she continued to sleep, turning over to press her face into Prue's pillow, her arms and legs splayed out as she hogged the entire bed.

"Ugh," Prue muttered, turning away to head into her bathroom.

She had brushed her teeth and made her way into her shower when the bathroom door banged open. She jumped and swiped at the fogged up mirror only to find Bella at the sink, her back facing the mirror as she slowly peeled off the gauze.

"Bella!" she complained.

Bella turned her head back around to look at Prue. "What?" she shrugged unrepentantly. "It's starting to itch."

Prue grumbled. "You could've waited," she pointed out. "I won't be long."

"You hog the bathroom almost as much as I do," Bella dismissed.

She pulled off the entire bandage and grimaced as she prepared to look at the healing wound. She straightened up, her spine stiff, as she stared at the smooth, unblemished patch of skin where just six hours ago, there had been deep claw marks.

"Whoa."

Prue blinked at Bella's shocked tone. She swiped at the glass which had fogged up again. "What is it?" she asked concernedly. "Is it worse?"

"Um…Not really," Bella said, her eyes transfixed on her unhurt back.

Prue frowned. She turned off the water, grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body before pushing open the door of the shower stall. She stepped outside and walked over towards her sister. Her bright green eyes were already searching for the wound. "Wait…Where is it?" she asked, turning Bella around so she could scan her back.

"Million dollar question," Bella drawled wryly.

* * *

><p>Piper stood by the kitchen island, coffee mug in hand, as she stared at her older sister. Her incredulity must've shown on her face because Prue narrowed her eyes and asked, "Piper, are you really going to doubt me now after everything we've seen?"<p>

"Yeah, well, as unbelievable as those things were, I saw them with my own two eyes," Piper shot back. "Isn't it possible that you and Bella imagined this?"

Prue scowled. "No!" she protested loudly. "How would that even work out?"

Piper shrugged. "It was late, you're both exhausted…"

Prue rolled her eyes. "Okay, but Piper, exhaustion doesn't make someone hallucinate like that," she pointed out.

"Actually, that's exactly what it does," Piper smiled, taking another sip of hot coffee.

Bella breezed into the kitchen, newly showered and dressed. "You'll be happy to know that I left just enough hot water for either you or Phoebe to take," she said flippantly as she headed straight for the coffee pot.

"Why would that make me happy?" Piper questioned.

Bella shrugged. "Well, Phoebe and her new boy toy are going at it like bunnies in her room so you should have enough time to snag the last hot shower of the morning if you hurry," she smiled beatifically. "You're welcome."

Piper snorted and rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her younger sister.

"Bella, I just told Piper about the dream guy," Prue interrupted before Piper could dash off for the shower.

Bella quirked an eyebrow. "And lemme guess – she didn't believe you?" she guessed correctly. "My sweet, naïve, skeptical sister…" she sighed and patted Piper's cheek affectionately.

Piper glared and batted Bella's hand away. "Okay, what in the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded Bella. "You're usually a lot more sarcastic than this and the cheeriness is starting to creep me out."

Bella grinned. "I've got a new power!" she squealed happily.

Prue's and Piper's smiles fell off their faces. "What?" Piper blinked in shock.

"Already?" Prue frowned. "We're barely a month in."

Bella shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't see anything about this when I read up on Agility before but maybe I missed something. I'll read the Book again after school today."

Piper shook her head. "Wait, back up – what exactly is 'this'?" she asked, curiosity and wariness mixing together.

Bella walked over to the counter, placed her coffee on the surface and grabbed a clean knife from the drawer. Before Prue or Piper could blink, Bella had slashed the blade across her palm. The sharp blade sliced through her flesh as easily as though it was butter.

"No!" Piper shrieked, her hands flying out instinctively. Horror filled her expression as her wide brown eyes took in the bloody knife.

Bella gave Piper an incredulous look. "Did you just try to freeze me?" she asked laughingly. "You know our powers don't work on good witches."

Prue darted forward, grabbing a kitchen towel and pressing it onto Bella's wounded palm. "Have you gone insane!" she snapped at her sister.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Relax – I barely felt it," she assured Prue.

"What the hell do you mean you barely felt it!" Piper asked in a panic. "You just cut open your hand without even blinking! Oh, my God!"

"Piper, get my keys," Prue ordered authoritatively. "We've got to get to the hospital. It probably needs stitches…"

Bella sighed and pushed Prue's hand away. She rubbed the towel over her palm, ignoring Piper's gag as she did so, to clean off the blood. She peeled off the bloody towel and lifted her hand up so Prue and Piper could see her palm.

"There's no cut," Piper stated, awed. "W-what happened?"

Bella shrugged, tossing the towel aside and going over to the sink to wash her hands clean. "I accidentally cut my leg shaving in the shower," she explained, seeing as how both her sisters seemed a little too stunned to say anything more. "I went to look for a Band-Aid, but the cut healed right in front of me. I thought I was going crazy so I did it again – it healed. Magically. Each time I cut myself, the faster I healed."

Prue blew out a breath. "So you're self-healing?" she wondered.

Bella shrugged. "Looks that way," she murmured, grabbing her emptied coffee mug and pouring herself a second cup.

"So that would explain the marks on your back vanishing by morning," Prue said, throwing a pointed look at Piper.

Piper swallowed hard and shook her head as though to bring herself out of her daze. "Okay, yes, that was…Pretty unbelievable," she admitted. "But a warlock who enters people's dreams to hurt them? Come on…"

Bella sighed in exasperation. _Nobody likes a skeptic_, she thought darkly. "Okay, do you remember what Grams used to say about nightmares?" she asked, coming up with a way to maybe finally convince Piper she was telling the truth.

Piper nodded. "She said if we saw any monsters, to tell them to go away, that they didn't exist," she recited, remembering clearly. She had, after all, been a teenager when Bella was a small child, waking up terrified from bad dreams. "Mom said it to us before she died and Grams said it to you when you were younger. Always worked, too."

Bella frowned. "Not this time," she said grimly. "He knew about Grams, what she told me…How did he know?"

"If you made him up in your mind, it would stand to reason that he'd know," Piper pointed out rationally.

Bella almost growled out loud. She shared an annoyed look with Prue. "Well, what about the marks on my back? You at least believe that, don't you? After what I just showed you? I mean, Prue saw them too. There's a witness."

Piper bit her lower lip as she gazed worriedly at her sisters. "Uh-huh," she muttered. "And how many hours did you work this week, Prue? 60? 70?"

Prue shifted her weight from one foot to another and looked away uneasily at Piper's knowing look. Bella narrowed her eyes in Prue's direction.

"And Bella," Piper said, turning to the youngest Halliwell. "How many hours of sleep did you actually get this week? Between school, martial arts lessons, your modeling gig and hanging out with Max working on your science project, you're barely getting four hours every night."

"Piper, I'm not overworked, and I'm not tired, either," Bella snapped.

Piper ignored her. "And now what are you doing today, on a Saturday, no less?" she asked knowingly.

Bella stared unblinkingly at Piper, refused to be distracted by Piper's 'logic'. "My project's due Monday," she said then continued without missing a beat, "And you're changing the subject. You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, I believe you think you saw marks on your back," Piper corrected Bella gently. "But I'm watching you down your third cup of coffee and we're talking about a nightmare you had while you were asleep in the tub. So isn't it possible that exhaustion made you see those marks and not some dream guy?"

Bella shook her head determinedly. "No. He was in my dream and it was real," she maintained firmly.

Prue broke in, having stayed silent long enough. "Piper, one of us having a hallucination is feasible," she admitted. "But both of us? At the same time? Having the same hallucination? You know, with magic being real, we can't discount anything."

Piper exhaled loudly. "Okay, so if this guy was real," she said tentatively. "And not that I'm saying he is, but _if_ he was real…Why didn't you use your powers to help you out? You know, kick his ass from here to Sunday and blur away to get help?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't know. I-I tried but it felt like I couldn't move…" she frowned, remembering the feeling of her limbs locking in place.

Piper bit her tongue so she wouldn't blurt out the words 'because you were incredibly tired and that manifested in your imagination'.

Their argument was cut short by the entrance of a buff, shirtless man. He was wearing nothing but a pair of tight jeans slung low on his hips, and he smiled widely at the others as he strolled in casually.

"Morning," he said, walking towards the fridge with familiarity.

Piper and Bella shared an amused look, while Prue blinked at him confusedly. "Uh…Excuse me, but who are you?" she asked bluntly, channeling Bella.

"Who cares?" Bella muttered, eyeing his impressive musculature.

Hans was apparently incapable of answering Prue's question. He swung open the fridge door, grabbed a bottle of milk and downed the contents in one go. Prue, Piper and Bella stared at him as he did so until their ogling was interrupted by the reason Hans was in the manor in the first place – Phoebe.

"Hans! I found your t…" Phoebe trailed off, chuckling nervously as three sets of Halliwell eyes turned to look at her. "…shirt."

Hans was completely ignorant of Phoebe's slight embarrassment at being caught. "Was it in the hammock or…?"

"It doesn't matter," Phoebe said quickly, handing the shirt to him.

"Thanks," Hans smiled at her, putting the shirt back on.

Bella had the strong urge to protest.

Piper turned wide eyes to Prue and Bella. "Hammock?" she whispered so quietly that they barely heard her. Prue stifled her snicker and tuned back in to Phoebe and Hans.

"I gotta run," Hans said, giving Phoebe a kiss. "I'll meet you later for lunch."

"Okay," she grinned dreamily up at him as they kissed once more.

Hans made to leave before he paused and doubled back. "Oops. I almost forgot," he said as he grabbed the milk bottle, held it up as he grinned winningly at Phoebe and dropped it off into the recycling bin beneath the sink.

"Ooh," Phoebe sounded out, beaming largely after him as he left. She turned back to her sisters, almost giddy with bliss. "Don't worry. We had safe sex." She covered her smiling lips with her knuckles, almost vibrating in happiness. "A lot of safe sex."

Piper nodded her head, an insincere smile frozen on her lips as she turned away from Phoebe. "Ew," she muttered, making Prue laugh.

Bella, in the meantime, glowered at Phoebe. "Good for you," she practically spat out. "Meanwhile, I've been visited by a creepy demon stalker whose greatest wish is to filet me alive."

She threw her hands up in exasperation at the unfairness of life. "Great! Just great!" She turned on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen.

Phoebe blinked rapidly. "What?" she asked, bewildered.

Piper shook her head. "Uh…Long story," she muttered, waving her hand dismissively. _It wasn't real_, she thought, still heavily in denial. _Bella and Prue will relax once they realize that. Just wait a few days. Things will calm down_.

Piper bit into her bagel, trying her best to ignore the unsettled feeling in her stomach.

* * *

><p>Bella left the house in a huff and, too irritated to Prue or Piper for a lift, she had taken a bus to the library, hours before she was set to meet her lab partner and sort-of-boyfriend Max. Seated at one of the computers in the library, she quickly typed in 'dream leaping' in the search engine.<p>

Quite a few websites came up, but they were mostly 'instructions' for people to follow. Apparently, if you meditated long enough and concentrated on a particular person, you would be able to enter their dreams.

"Lame," Bella muttered, growing increasingly frustrated as she exited the fifth site to guarantee mastering such a skill. _As if anyone without magical powers can do this_, she scoffed silently.

The loud ringing of her new cell phone was a welcomed distraction for her tired eyes. Unfortunately, the people around her didn't feel the same way. They turned to shush her, angry eyes turning soft at the sight of her beauty.

Bella rolled her eyes – because unexplained affection given just because she was another pretty face grew wearisome after the novelty inevitably wore off – gave them a forced smile and flipped her phone open.

"Hello?"

"Bella?" she easily recognized Max's voice. "Where are you? It's fifteen minutes past one."

Bella winced. "Ooh," she hissed. "Max, I'm late…I'm so sorry. I got caught up…I'll hurry."

Max's pleasant laugh filled her ears. "Oh, don't worry about it," he assured her. "I've already gotten us a table. Meet you in a bit?"

"Definitely. I'm leaving right now," she promised, hurriedly standing up and shoving her things into her bag. She said goodbye, placed her phone into her bag and shut off the computer.

Even rushing towards the Italian bistro she was supposed to meet Max in, it took her nearly half an hour to reach. Unable to use Hyper Speed due to the large crowds of people between the library and the bistro only added to her frustration. Needless to say, she was still in a foul mood by the time she met up with Max.

Max greeted her with a big smile. She wasn't sure if that soothed her irritation or only added to it. _What the hell are people always smiling about?_ She growled in her mind.

"Hey, Bella," he grinned, standing up and leaning over the table to kiss her.

She smiled, slightly affected by his happy-go-lucky personality. "Hi," she sighed, dropping into her seat opposite him.

He winced sympathetically. "Ooh…Bad day?"

She rolled her eyes. "Doesn't even describe it," she complained.

"What happened?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it," she said firmly. It wasn't as though she _could_ confide in him even if she wanted to.

Max nodded. "Okay, sure," he said easily. "Let's talk about something else."

"How about our project?" Bella suggested.

Max narrowed his eyes and pretended to consider. "Mmm…How about our date tomorrow night?" he countered.

Bella started to smile. "We have a date?" she teased. "Why wasn't I invited?"

He laughed and leaned in over the table to brush his lips against hers. "Will you go out with me tomorrow?" he asked between sweet kisses.

Bella smiled against his lips. "Mmm…Sure, I've got nothing else to do," she joked, causing him to laugh into their kiss.

"Gee, thanks," he retorted lightheartedly, smiling widely as he pulled back and settled back into his seat.

_Well, the boy is infectious_, Bella thought with a smile as she felt much lighter than she had all morning.

Max managed to keep her smiling and laughing throughout the entire lunch but, of course, lightheartedness could only last so long.

They still had a ton of work to do for their project which was due in just a few days' time. The two of them settled at a desk in the library, nearest to the bookshelves. With the desk being out of sight of the librarian at the front desk or anyone else, Bella and Max took out their nourishments (candy, coffee and chips) and got started on finishing their project.

As they got deeper and deeper into their 'study mode', motivated by the fear that they wouldn't finish by Monday and receive an incomplete, they talked less and a somber atmosphere settled upon them. Bella found herself facing a different kind of stress for the second time in one day.

They were so focused on their project that they were so taken aback by the loud sound of Max's stomach rumbling. Both blinking in shock, they looked up at one another and started to smile.

"God," Bella sighed, taking a peek at her watch. "It's almost six now."

"Wow. I guess we were…" Max trailed off, his eyes widening into large round saucers and his jaw dropping as Bella stretched her arms over her head, her back arching and her chest jutting out. He was so mesmerized that he didn't realize she'd stopped stretching and was now giving him a knowing smirk until she cleared her throat.

Despite having experience with sex, Max couldn't help but be enthralled by Bella Halliwell. She was, hands down, the sultriest person he'd ever met and though that wasn't saying much since he hadn't dated anyone above the age of sixteen, it still stunned him to see how beautiful she was. Every time he saw her, she took his breath away.

Some part of him kept telling him he was imagining things – there was no way any one human could be this spellbinding. But then again, the proof was right there in front of his eyes.

"Uhm, I-I mean…If you're…Hungry I could get us something…" he stuttered.

Bella smiled in an almost feline manner. "Thanks," she purred. "That'd be great."

She stood up and grabbed a few books they were done with. "I'm gonna put these back," she smiled. "We'll take a fifteen minute break?"

He nodded, his jaw still dropped, and watched her leave, eyes transfixed to her swaying hips.

It took Max a full minute to break himself out of her spell, and another minute to clear his fogged up mind. Shaking his head, Max grabbed his wallet from his backpack and started to stand up.

A shrill ringing made him jump, startled, and pause.

He hurriedly moved a few papers out of the way, grabbing the black cell phone buried under a stack of notes. He didn't want a librarian to come his way and start berating him for this.

It was Bella's cell phone that was ringing. Max looked around but Bella wasn't anywhere near. He hesitated for a moment before answering.

Halfway across town, Piper was bustling about Quake in a hurry. She was, as always, feeling harried and overworked. Unlike Phoebe, who had started to reap the benefits of the spell they'd casted barely an hour after the fact, Piper hadn't even noticed anything different. She was far too busy making sure she didn't lose her job.

Phoebe, who had stopped by Quake for an early dinner with Hans, was quick on Piper's heels as she tried to convince Piper that they had done the right thing.

"Phoebe, I really think we botched it up," Piper said as she grabbed a plate of freshly readied food and made her way towards the kitchen door. "Nothing's happened so far. And maybe it's not such a bad thing that the spell didn't take. Prue wasn't such a fan of us casting it, and neither was Bella."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Okay, first of all – Bella's not a fan of anything that has nothing to do with good things happening to her," she pointed out knowingly. "And I think you should slow down, take a deep breath and smell the roses. I really think you're just missing all the signs because you're too stressed out worrying about everything else."

When Piper didn't answer her, Phoebe exhaled and insisted, "I'm telling you, Piper. The spell worked."

"Shh!" Piper snapped immediately. "A little louder, Phoebes! I don't think Oakland heard."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Well it did," she said without apology. "Get this – Hans doesn't go to bars. He's never been to Quake but last night he's on his way back from his acting class-"

Piper barked out a laugh. _Of course he goes to an acting class_, she snorted amusedly.

Phoebe continued on excitedly without acknowledging Piper's laughter, "When – BAM! Flat tire, on his motorcycle, right across the street from Quake. So he comes in to use the payphone and who should he bump into but me, exiting the ladies room!"

Piper smiled amusedly at her little sister. "Phoebe, you threw his clothes all over the house. That's not a spell working, that's hormones," she retorted gently.

Phoebe's smile dimmed slightly as she said seriously, "No, it's not like that…I really like Hans. He's really cool…" At Piper's knowing smile, Phoebe threw her arms up in the air, grinned widely and said, "And he likes me too."

She cocked her hips to the side and spun around to face the bar where she knew Hans was waiting for her. Seeing him, she ran over to greet him. He stood up just in time to catch her as she came crashing into him.

Piper laughed and shook her head as she watched Hans spin Phoebe around in a hug.

Sighing, she turned away from the happy couple. _Maybe the spell had just enough juice to work for one of us_, she mused silently, still wondering whether she should be happy or sad about the spell not working for her.

She made her way towards the table where one of Quake's many regulars, Mr. Mannford, was sitting at, once again bowed over a ton of paperwork. _Then again, who am I to judge when I do the exact same thing during what little free time I have_, she sighed tiredly.

"Mr. Mannford," Piper greeted him pleasantly, placing the plate on small spot of free space on the table. "Here you go. Chicken, rice, veggies. Just the way you like it."

She wondered how he never got tired of eating the same thing day in and day out when she got tired just _saying_ it to him day in and day out.

"Thank you," Mr. Mannford said. And for the first time since she had first met him, Mr. Mannford looked up from his pile of paperwork and looked at her right in the eyes. He started to smile. "And please, call me Jack…Has anybody ever told you how truly beautiful you are?"

Piper stared at him, bewildered. She gave an incredulous laugh and pointed at his glass. "Have you been drinking?" she asked him, only partially joking.

Mr. Mannford – Jack, Piper reminded herself – laughed. "A sense of humor. I love that," he said pleasantly.

It was the most he had ever said to her and it was slightly freaking her out. Giving him a forced smile, Piper turned to head back to work when Mr. Mannford called out to her, "Wait! Piper, don't go. I don't know why but I've got to get to know you. Have dinner with me."

Piper narrowed her eyes. _He's never shown any interest in having even one simple conversation with me before and now, all of a sudden, he wants to get to know me?_ She thought skeptically. _It could only be one thing – the spell must've worked for me, too. Phoebe was right_.

She held up a finger. "Can you hang on a second?" she asked him, already edging away from him.

He continued to stare at her as though mesmerized. "Yeah," he whispered, reverence in his voice.

Piper bit back a grimace. "Okay," she whispered back, spinning on her heel and rushing away towards the bar. She looked left and right for any signs of Phoebe but her sister and Hans were long gone. She did, however, managed to catch the eye of several strapping young men who smiled flirtatiously at her.

At the far end of the bar was a phone for the use of the bartenders and wait staff. Piper picked up the receiver and quickly dialed a familiar number. "Prue Halliwell, please. It's her sister Piper. She's in a meeting? Oh, okay. No, I don't need to leave a message. It's fine. Thanks."

Piper sighed as she hung up the phone. _What would I even say in a message? Prue, the spell that Phoebe and I cast worked so now a guy who never once looked at me twice is making goo-goo eyes at me?_ "Yeah, her assistant will call the men in white coats after me," Piper scoffed.

She was about to forget about Jack Mannford, wanting to just get back to work, when she saw another man she had never met before walking towards her purposefully.

_Oh, no, not another one_, she thought, panicking.

She turned towards the phone once more and dialed another number speedily. Her call was picked up after a few too-long rings. "Bella, I've got a-"

Piper paused when she heard a distinctly male voice saying, "Um, sorry, it's not Bella…She forgot to take her phone with her…"

Piper scrunched her eyebrows together. "Who is this?"

"It's, um, Max."

"Max?" Her frazzled mind brought up the memories of Bella informing them of her newest boy toy Max, the lab partner. "Oh, right…Uh, is Bella around?"

"Yeah, she's here somewhere…She went to return a book…Um, who is this?" Max asked, curiously.

"I'm her sister Piper," Piper explained. Seeing the unfamiliar man getting closer and closer, she rushed over to the other side of the bar and turned her back to him, speaking hurriedly into the phone, "Could you get her for me, please? Thanks."

The man, who had now reached the bar, leaned over it to smile at her. "You know, you shouldn't have dinner with that guy," he told her.

Piper turned to look over her shoulder. "Why not?"

"Because you should fly to Paris with me," he said confidently.

Piper let out a freaked out laugh and turned her back to him once more. "Tell her it's an emergency," she told Max urgently.

Bella returned to her desk with a new book she'd found and thought might be helpful, only to find that Max was still there. She recognized her phone pressed to his ear.

Frowning, she quickened her steps, especially when she heard 'tell her it's an emergency' coming from the other line. Piper's voice was easily recognizable.

_Wait a minute…How did I hear her voice?_ Bella wondered silently. _I'm fifteen feet away…Things are getting way too freaky around here_.

She reached the desk, causing Max to look up. He smiled and said into the phone, "Here she is now." He held the phone out to her. "It's your sister Piper."

She nodded. "I've got it, thanks."

"I'll run down to the sandwich shop down the block and sneak dinner in here for us," he said as he stood up. "Is that okay?"

She nodded, accepting a kiss from him before he left.

"Piper?" she said into the phone. "What's up? Whoa…Slow down. What?"

Bella listened with part wariness and part amusement as Piper told her about Jack Mannford and the other men who were following after her at the restaurant. There was a small part of her brain that wondered if she should feel jealous of the attention Piper was getting, but why would she when it was all fake affection? Bella didn't need to cast a spell to get men to fall at her feet.

Bella bit her lip as Piper's long rant came to an end. "Wow…So are you gonna go out with this Jack guy?" she wondered.

"I don't know," Piper mused aloud. "I'm thinking about it…I don't know if I'll actually do it. It's crazy that I'm even considering it."

"Well, I don't think you should hold back, Piper," Bella said encouragingly. "I mean, this is what you wanted when you cast that spell, isn't it?"

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Well, if you feel that way why do you sound so wary?" she wondered suspiciously.

"No, I don't," Bella said defensively. Piper's silence was laden with disbelief. "Okay, maybe I do," Bella amended on a sigh. "I just…I feel like there's a fine print somewhere that you and Phoebe didn't see. I mean, a spell to get men to fall in live with you? Please," Bella scoffed. "If it were actually that simple and consequence-free, every witch in the world would be casting it, don't you think? It's way easier than going through one bad break-up after another."

Shaking her head, Bella twirled a lock of silky hair around her finger as she thought back to some of the more unpleasant experiences she'd had in her short life with men of all ages and their unwanted advances, especially these days after Phoebe's first incantation had given her the beauty Greek goddesses envied.

"Besides," she added in a lower tone, frowning. "Having men fawn all over you isn't as pretty as it sounds, Piper."

"And you'd have experience with that, of course," Piper stated matter-of-factly, not an ounce of envy in her tone.

She had never fought for a guy with Bella before, like she'd had with Prue and Phoebe. This was mainly due to their age difference – Piper was eight years older than Bella.

She was mostly thankful for this since she knew, with Bella's too-confident attitude and her self-assured beauty, Piper wouldn't have won. Piper didn't have a low self-esteem now, but she _had_ been awkward and a little too introverted as a teenager; the complete opposite of Bella.

Even so, there were the rare occasions when Piper would wonder what it would be like to have it so easy. Thoughts like that had driven Piper into agreeing to cast the spell with Phoebe in the first place.

Bella laughed. "I just want you to be careful," she admitted, her voice oddly soft. "I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into."

Piper pursed her lips and nodded her head slowly as she pondered Bella's words. The ridiculousness of her 'act first think later' youngest sister telling her this made her laugh, however. "I can't believe you just said that," she admitted.

"I know. I feel so Prue-ish," Bella crinkled her nose. She took a deep breath, filled her lungs up with air and exhaled slowly as though dispelling the solemn attitude along with the air. "Now, forget my moment of maturity and go have fun with Jack."

Piper smiled and chuckled. "Okay. Thanks," she said sincerely. "Hey, are you going to be home for dinner?" she asked quickly before Bella could hang up – she didn't want another Prue-freak-out if Bella came home late.

"No," Bella scowled. "Max and I are barely halfway through our project. We're going to be here all night."

Piper smirked. "It's probably a good idea to stop sucking his face off and actually do the work," she quipped.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh, very funny," she muttered dryly. She looked up as she heard footsteps approaching and saw Max coming towards her with a paper bag in one hand and two fresh coffees in a cardboard cup carrier balanced in the other. She smiled gratefully at Max as he handed her one of the steaming paper cups. "Piper, I've gotta go. Tell me how it goes."

Piper pulled the phone away from her ear as Bella hung up on her, and placed the receiver back in the cradle. Taking in a deep breath, Piper gave herself a silent pep talk for a few minutes.

_Just take a chance – but be careful_, she reminded herself.

Blowing out a nervous breath, Piper pasted on her best smile and headed towards a waiting Mr. Mannford – _Jack_, she thought with a smile. _His name is Jack_.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I have WONDERFUL news. A friend of the family was able to save pretty much ALL the documents from my crashed computer and since I've got a new computer, the information from my old hard drive is safely stored inside and has been placed in my laptop as well as my portable hard drive (I learned from my lesson...) As a result, I've now gotten back into the swing of writing. I'm so sorry that it's taken so long but while I had literally nothing left to write from, I thought I had to start over and used my time to write out scenes for Charmed: Redux as well as The Clandestine Affair. I'm back now and I hope that none of you are TOO mad at me to read this new chapter and maybe even write a review later on? *Hopes*

Thank you for your patience, and for reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or Twilight.

* * *

><p>Once again, Piper was sharing a meal with Jack.<p>

After their initial lunch they'd shared after the phone call with Bella – which she had enjoyed once she'd pushed aside the weirdness of having a man who'd paid little to no attention to her for weeks suddenly fawning over her as though she was a beautiful goddess – he had showed up at Quake for dinner the very same day and insisted she ate with him again.

She'd reluctantly agreed to have dinner with him. Despite how much fun she'd had a few hours before, she was still unsure about giving in to Jack's advances. Every time she was around him, she couldn't help but see Prue's disapproving expression and hear Bella's warning that she was in way over her head.

Still, she had accepted lunch with him and now here they were, sitting together at dinner as they waited for their entrees to arrive. Although she couldn't deny that she'd had fun with Jack, she still felt uneasy every time he gazed at her with unadulterated adoration.

So, ever since the moment he had greeted her that night, she had been trying to turn him off, even just a little. It had started out simple but gross ("Did you know that I have pimples on my back?") and had escalated to more elaborate lies ("Did you know I have a six toe on my left foot?").

So far, every disgusting thing she'd thrown his way, he'd accepted with a smile. She figured, if there was even one thing about her that made him pause and think twice, then maybe what they could possibly have would be real. Maybe he wouldn't just be smitten with her because she'd put him under her spell.

"What else can I tell you?" Piper pondered, trying to be creative. "Um, when I get stressed, I get hives…In very strange places – which is nothing compared to what happens when I panic. _Believe_ me."

Jack smiled fondly at her. "Your honesty is so refreshing," he sighed contentedly.

Piper laughed slightly, "Ah, well, it helps keep my ulcer under control."

"It's the nineties," Jack shrugged. "I mean, is there anyone who doesn't have one?"

Slightly desperate now, she leaned forward and blurted out, "Would you like to see my tattoo?"

Jack grinned. "Would you like to see mine?" he retorted sultrily.

Piper smiled insincerely. "Is there nothing I can say to turn you off?" she wondered.

"Not really," was his instant reply. His brow crinkled slightly. "Which is kind of strange, actually…"

Piper sighed. _I guess it's time to come clean_, she thought morosely. "Not really," she murmured. "Jack, you're under a…"

Jack, unable to control his emotions anymore under the influence of the spell, leaned in across the table and captured her lips in a sweet first kiss.

Piper's eyes fluttered open when he pulled away. "…Spell," she finished, flustered.

He continued to smile blindingly at her, seemingly having not heard her confession. _Which is a good thing, I suppose_, Piper thought in the aftermath. _It might've saved me from Prue's and Bella's wraths. What the hell was I thinking, telling him?_

She gave him a forced smile and was about to tell him she had to run to the bathroom so she could call Phoebe and let her know she wanted to undo the spell, when she caught something out of the corner of her eye: sitting behind Jack was a handsome man, smiling flirtatiously in her direction. She quickly averted her gaze but that only led her to see another guy, standing near her table and gazing at her. He was holding a glass of wine. When he saw that she was looking at him, he raised the glass in silent salute and winked at her.

Laughing nervously, Piper spun in her seat to look around, wanting to see if there were any other men acting like they were under the spell.

Sitting just at the table behind her was yet another man, smiling at her widely, twirling a stem of white rose in his hand and eyeing her appreciatively. "Hey, there," he said seductively.

Piper reeled back, blushed heavily and turned back around quickly to face Jack. He looked like he hadn't noticed anything wrong in the past thirty seconds, his attention focused solely on Piper's face. He still had that awed look in his eyes as he smiled adoringly at her.

Piper gave an involuntary chuckle, the high pitched noise an obvious sign of her distress. _Yeah…We're definitely undoing the spell_, she thought wryly, slowly rising from the table.

Jack blinked, looking like he was finally realizing his surroundings. He frowned and stood along with her. "Wait…Where are you going?" he asked despondently, looking so lost that Piper actually felt a sharp stab of guilt for having done this to him – even if she hadn't known the exact consequence of the spell.

"I, uh…I-I have to go," she stammered, unable to find a convincing lie and unable to stand in front of him looking at his tortured expression any longer. "I'm sorry."

She grabbed her purse and fled the restaurant, calling out a quick order for Jenny to lock up for her at the end of the night. She didn't dare look behind her at the small horde of men she knew were following after her, ignoring their cries for her to stop. She ran to her car and sped out of the parking lot, her heart racing as though she'd run a marathon, only slowing down when she'd reached home.

Her relief was short-lived as she made her way up the porch steps and found a bouquet of flowers resting against the front door. She bent and picked it up, frowning as she read the card.

'Piper, whatever it is that your date did to upset you – I'm sorry. I would never treat you any less than a queen. Call me. Ian.'

Piper's jaw dropped as she read the note. "Ian?" she repeated incredulously. "I don't even _know_ an Ian!"

* * *

><p>Max sighed, putting down his pen for the first time in over an hour and flexing his cramped fingers. He reached up and rubbed his tired, stinging eyes, stifling a yawn as he did so.<p>

Turning his head to his left, he smiled when he caught sight of his lab partner. Bella had slumped over the desk, her head pillowed on her folded arms, her face more serene than he could ever remember it being in the time they'd known each other.

Deciding to let her rest for a little while longer, Max did his best to be quiet as he stood up, stretching his body. Grabbing his wallet, he turned to head for the door. Maybe he could get some coffee from the vending machine down the hall. It wouldn't be as good as the coffee from the café down the street he and Bella had been scarfing all day but it'd have to do at eleven o'clock at night.

While Max was on a coffee run, Bella was fast asleep.

She had been in a dreamless sleep, her mind taking a break along with her body, when suddenly, she was jolted 'awake' by an unfortunately familiar voice.

"Hello, Beautiful Bella…"

She jerked, her eyes snapping open. She lifted her head from the table and spun around to face the smirking dream sorcerer.

"We meet again," he said smugly. "All that work, all those hours…You fell asleep at the library."

He walked around the table, stalking towards her, his arrogance making him blind enough that she could discreetly sneak a pair of scissors she had been using earlier off the table, and hid it behind her thigh as she glowered at the dream sorcerer. "Oh, good," she said snarkily, not taking her eyes off of him lest he were to make any sudden movements. She didn't want to risk anything after the last time. "We can settle the score then."

Instead of being intimidated, the dream sorcerer only continued to smirk at her. Bella tensed up, looking around her as her surroundings began to change. Instead of the stark white walls and the ceiling-to-floor shelves full of books, dark red and blue clouds started to swirl around Bella.

Despite her strong resolve and her best efforts, she still felt the pinpricks of fear beginning to build up inside her heart.

Perhaps the dream sorcerer could sense that because he started to chuckle. When she steeled herself, pushing the fear so deep inside that she could barely feel it any longer, the dream sorcerer raised an eyebrow.

"What do you hide from?" he wondered aloud. To Bella, his tone was mocking and it was just pissing her off. "Is it fear that you'll never be more than just a pretty face, or is it fear that even with everything you've got handed to you, you'll never get anywhere? I mean, there must be a reason…Why you fight so hard to put up such a…Ahem, _strong_ front."

"I don't hide from anything," Bella spat at him as she struggled desperately to get out of the chair. "You're the coward, not me." _Oh, God, please don't let this be like last time_, she pleaded to the higher powers. Unlike last time, she didn't have Prue around to wake her up.

He grinned maliciously. "You can't move out of the chair, can you?" he guessed correctly. Suddenly, instead of the stiff wooden chair she had been sitting in all day, she was suddenly in a gray colored computer chair. The dream sorcerer grabbed the backrest of her chair and spun her around to face him and leaned over her as he spoke. "Don't you want to know why? Because I don't want you to. You're powerless, Bella."

She glared. "Go to hell," she spat at him through gritted teeth, struggling harder to get out of the chair.

He ignored her. "I, on the other hand, am the all-powerful," he bragged. "If you don't want to talk to me-"

"Oh, what gave you a clue, idiot?" she snapped.

His smile froze, slipping slightly. "That's fine," he said, his tone cooler than before. "There's always Prue, Piper, Phoebe…"

Bella's body tensed. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my sisters, you son of a bitch," Bella snarled.

He smiled slowly at her, happy that he was getting under her skin so badly."Or any number of young, single women out there," he continued carelessly."It's an endless pool for the Dream Sorcerer."

She eyeballed him slightly. "Even _I'm_ not that arrogant," she informed him, using enough sarcasm to throw him so that she could ensure her ability to move her legs.

She aimed a sharp jab of her knee upwards, hitting him squarely in the crotch. He yelled out in pain, hunching over even further. Bella took this as the perfect opportunity to bring out the sharp scissors she'd kept concealed, and stabbed his hand with it. The dream sorcerer screamed out even louder, holding up his bloody hand as his face contorted in agony.

Breathing harshly, the dream sorcerer glowered at Bella. He grabbed the backrest of the chair roughly. "Goodnight, Beautiful Bella," he spat out menacingly.

He quickly pushed the chair forwards. Some of the red fog cleared up, just enough to allow Bella the unfortunate privilege of seeing where he was pushing her towards: the edge of what appeared to be a very tall building. Bella gritted her teeth to swallow the terrified squeak she almost let out, and pressed her back against the backrest of the chair.

Just as they reached the edge, a miracle stopped her death.

Someone shook her shoulder – hard.

"Bella? Bella…? Bella, wake up!"

Once again, Bella jolted awake. This time, it was the real deal.

Still running on adrenaline (and fear) from her dream, Bella spun around, scissors held high as she prepared to strike.

She paused, just in time, to see herself face to face with a shocked looking Max. He had reeled back, a hand over his face, and he stared at her, horrified.

"Bella! W-what are you doing?" he asked, stuttering slightly in fright.

Bella slowly lowered her hand. "Um…Nothing," she murmured. "Nothing. Oh, God. I'm sorry. I was just…"

Max, his heart rate slowly going down, smiled tentatively. "Bad dream?" he guessed.

Bella closed her eyes, exhaling slowly and running a hand down her face. "Ugh, understatement of the century," she muttered.

Max reached out slowly to take the scissors from her. "Let's just…Get that away first…"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Max," she scoffed.

But Max wasn't listening. Instead, he stared, horrified, at the scissors now in his hands. "What the hell?" he muttered.

Bella's eyes followed his gaze, and they landed on the bloodied tip of the scissors. She gasped, dropping her gaze to her hand that had gripped the scissors tightly before. There, on the side of her palm, was blood smeared on her skin.

"Oh, God," Max said, catching sight of the blood. He dropped the scissors on the table and grabbed some of the extra napkins from their sandwich dinner earlier. "Did you accidentally cut yourself?" he began dabbing at the blood.

Bella, knowing that it wasn't _her_ blood and that even if it was, the wound would have healed by now, stood up from the stiff chair. She pushed away from Max, yanking her hand back and hastily packing away her things.

"I-I've got to go," she muttered.

Max frowned, watching her hurried movements confusedly. "Bella…Is something wrong?" he asked finally.

Bella shook her head, shooting him a brief apologetic smile before going back to packing. "No, nothing's wrong," she said in the most convincing manner possible. "I just…I'm just feeling a little wigged out. It's fine. I'm just gonna head home."

Max nodded his head slowly as though this made sense to him. "Oh…Okay," he reached out to place his hand on her back sympathetically. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

Bella hitched the strap of her book bag over her shoulder. "No, it's okay," she assured him. "I borrowed my sister's bike, remember?"

Max smiled, though worry still shone in his eyes. "If you're sure," he said.

"I am," Bella gave him her best smile, stepping forward and giving him a kiss. "Pick me up tomorrow?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, of course," he brushed back her hair from her face and pressed his lips more firmly against hers. "Goodnight."

"'night," she echoed. She smiled at him one last time then hurried out the library doors. The moment she was out of the library – and out of sight of anyone who might overhear – Bella whipped out her cell phone and dialed.

* * *

><p>"Thanks," Piper said with barely concealed sarcasm, throwing the delivery girl a forced smile as she handed over her signature and accepted the bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates from her.<p>

The delivery girl nodded, throwing an inquisitive look at the seemingly infinite number of bouquets piled all over the foyer. "Um…You're welcome," she muttered, giving Piper a strange look before turning away.

Piper rolled her eyes as she stepped back into the foyer and closed the front door. "Yeah, keep walkin' lady," she muttered under her breath. "Like I don't know this is weird."

She pulled out the small card from its envelope, skimmed through the words just so she'd know if she had to put it in the 'Piper section' or the 'Phoebe section'.

"Dear Piper, you looked so beautiful tonight…Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," she read with a disgusted scowl. She resisted the urge to throw the perfectly beautiful flowers against the wall, placed it on the floor next to five other bouquets and tossed the card away.

She looked down at the box of chocolates in her hands. "Well, at least one good thing came out of this," she shrugged, opening the box and taking one of the chocolates out as she walked towards the kitchen.

She had polished off half the box and was sitting in the kitchen, washing the sugary goodness down with coffee, when she heard the front door open.

"I'm home!" she heard Phoebe call out.

Piper sighed in relief. _Good; now we can reverse the spell and hopefully stop the oncoming flower deliveries_.

"In the kitchen!" Piper called out. Not a minute later, Phoebe walked in, half a chocolate heart in her hand as she chewed. "You're home early," Piper noted calmly over the rim of her coffee mug. _Maybe I wasn't the only one having a bad time on a good date_, she mused silently.

"Yeah, so are you," Phoebe retorted, popping in the rest of the chocolate she'd swiped from the box sitting on the dining room table on her way to the kitchen. "What's with all the flowers? You and Jack fighting already?"

Piper scoffed. "I wish," she sighed, remembering Jack's unfailing admiration and adoration for her at dinner even when she didn't deserve it. "The flowers were waiting on the doorstep when I returned, and they've been coming in ever since. They're from men I barely know and men I've never met…All the flowers in here are for you."

Phoebe huffed, plopping down on a chair opposite Piper. "Oh, well, I know they're not from Hans," she practically growled out.

"What happened?" Piper asked concernedly.

"He wouldn't leave me alone all night. He kept…Touching me," Phoebe complained, shuddering as she remembered Hans' neediness. "And practically every guy in the bar was hitting on me. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I ditched Hans and left him at the club…" She turned to Piper and asked perkily, "So how was your date?"

"Perfect," Piper replied without a beat. "Everything was…perfect. Even my faults were perfect."

"And this is a bad thing?" Phoebe asked on a laugh.

Piper smiled at Phoebe, shaking her head at Phoebe's insistence on putting this under a positive light, even after the mishap of her 'relationship' with Hans. "It wasn't real," Piper said firmly, knowing this for a fact now. "Everything he said, everything he felt…It was because of the spell, not because of me."

Phoebe shook her head. "Piper, you don't know that," she said softly. "Maybe he meant every word. Maybe if it wasn't for the spell, he would've never had a chance to feel those things – let alone say them."

"No, Phoebe," Piper sighed, a short, exasperated laugh escaping her. "Love is a magic between two people that cannot be explained and cannot be conjured. What we did…It just…It's not right."

She sighed and gave Phoebe a look. "Bella was right," she admitted. "We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into."

Phoebe pouted and exchanged a mock pained look with Piper. "I hate it when she's right," she frowned.

Piper smiled. "Me too," she agreed.

Kit jumped on the table, seeming a little frazzled. Phoebe reached out and scratched her behind the ear soothingly. "Hmm. Even our poor cat's in hell," she noted, following Kit's distressed gaze to the window, where a bunch of cats were scratching at the glass, trying desperately to get in. "Go away, horny tom cats!" Phoebe shooed.

"Let's reverse the spell," Piper suggested knowingly, and Phoebe nodded her silent agreement.

Piper placed her coffee mug on the kitchen table, ready to get up to the attic to undo the spell, when the phone rang. She stood up from her seat and swiped the cordless phone off the kitchen island. "Hello? Bella?" she glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall. She frowned, noticing that it was almost midnight. "Where are you?"

"I'm, um, still at the library," Bella said, putting in a few quarters into the vending machine outside the library doors and waiting for her coffee to come out. "Listen, something bad happened. I fell asleep and that man from my dream – the creepy guy from Quake – he came, and he tried to kill me again."

Phoebe alternated between listening to Piper's end of the conversation with Bella, and looking behind her shoulder just as Prue walked into the kitchen.

"Hey," Prue greeted Phoebe, seeing as how Piper was on the phone. "When did we open a florist?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes and shrugged, opening her mouth to answer when Piper yelped out a startled, "What?"

Prue's smile slipped entirely off her face as she took note of the panicked look on Piper's face. "What is it?" she demanded. "Who's on the phone?"

Piper gestured wildly with her free hand for Prue to keep quiet, listening intently to Bella on the other line.

"Yeah, and there's actual proof this time – Max saw it too," Bella insisted.

"Were you hurt?" Piper asked worriedly.

"No. I hurt him this time. In my dream, I stabbed him with my scissors and when I woke up, the scissors were in my hand and his blood was dripping from it…I definitely didn't imagine it, Piper," Bella said urgently.

Piper squeezed her eyes shut. _Is there no end to this demonic nightmare?_ She thought desperately. "Oh, my God," she whispered. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't understand why, either," Bella answered, chugging down half of the bad coffee in one go. "All I do know is that I'm only safe when I'm awake – he can't get to me outside my dreams. But if I fall asleep…I'm dead."

"Well, stay where you are," Piper instructed firmly. "Prue and I will come pick you up."

"No," Bella protested immediately. "I borrowed Phoebe's bike and the library is only a few blocks away from the house. I'll be fine."

Piper shared a worried glance with Prue and Phoebe. Although the two of them didn't know what was going on exactly, they were still plenty apprehensive just listening to Piper's end of the conversation.

Bella downed the rest of her coffee and crumpled up the paper cup. "Look, I want you to look in the Book of Shadows and see if you can find anything on this guy," she said quickly into the phone, tossing the empty cup into a nearby trashcan. "He calls himself a dream sorcerer. Okay?"

Piper hesitated. Something in her gut was telling her that letting Bella go home alone, at midnight, when there was a creepy demon stalker chasing after her was a bad idea. Then again, Bella did say that the dream sorcerer couldn't reach her outside her dreams.

"Piper?" Bella prompted impatiently.

Piper bit her lip. "Fine," she finally said. "But hurry home. If you're not back in fifteen minutes, we're sending out search parties."

"It'll take me thirty to get there," Bella reminded her sister.

"Make it twenty," Piper negotiated. "And call us the moment you start feeling sleepy, okay? We'll keep you awake."

"Fine," Bella replied curtly. "Be there soon."

Piper waited until the line went dead before hanging up. She turned to her anxious sisters and said, "Bella's in trouble. We need to get to the Book – now."

She and Prue filled Phoebe in on the dream sorcerer as the three of them rushed up to the attic. Once Phoebe had gotten over the feeling of injustice at being the only one left out of such an important event happening, they had hurriedly searched the entire Book for anything resembling what Bella had described the dream sorcerer to be.

"Nothing?" Prue asked anxiously as she paced back and forth, looking out the attic window every few seconds to see if Bella had returned yet.

"Nada," Phoebe replied as she flipped through the same pages again.

"There's got to be something," Piper insisted.

Phoebe threw her hands up in the air, stopping the search. "I'm telling you – there's no dream sorcerer stuff anywhere," she said, frustrated.

Piper frowned. "That's impossible," she snapped. "The Book of Shadows has never let us down before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Prue muttered, earning her a glare from Piper.

Phoebe bit her lower lip as she considered. "Maybe he's not a demon. Maybe he's a mortal," she mused.

Prue snorted. "Then he's got one hell of a power," she pointed out.

"You're not kidding," Piper agreed.

Prue shook her head. "Demon, mortal, there's got to be some way to stop him," she raked her fingers through her hair.

The three of them jumped as the silence in the big house was shattered by the sound of the phone ringing downstairs.

"It's got to be Bella," Piper said grimly. "Who else would call now?"

Prue made to dash towards the door but Phoebe flung her arm out, stopping her. "Wait," she called out. "What are you going to tell her? That we can't help her? That she can never go to sleep?"

Prue remained silent as she evaded Phoebe's questioned and rushed out of the attic, her two sisters fast on her heel.

_Please, God, let this all turn out okay_, Prue begged silently. _I can't lose my sister_.

* * *

><p>The streets were eerily silent as Bella rode her bike, the cool night air whipping her hair away from her face and serving to wake her slightly more than the coffee had. Unfortunately for Bella, the many practically sleepless nights she'd had being too busy working on school and work projects were catching up to her. Even the shortcut she had taken seemed longer than her normal route.<p>

Her eyelids fluttered madly as she fought the strong urge to simply close her eyes and fall asleep. Her mind and body were tired enough that she barely registered the fact that she was on a bike.

A particularly jolting swerve shook her out of her sleepy daze enough to fumble for her cell phone in her bag. She quickly dialed her home number and frowned when no one answered after the fourth ring.

"Come on, come on, answer the phone," she muttered, her eyes tearing slightly as she stifled another yawn.

Finally, the call was answered and Bella breathed a small sigh of relief at the sound of her eldest sister's voice.

"Hey," Bella greeted Prue back. "Did you guys find anything?"

Prue bit her lip worriedly. "No, we didn't," she confessed quietly. "But don't worry," she was quick to add. "You're not in this alone. Piper, Phoebe and I will help you."

Bella's weariness and anxiety made her snap, "How can you help me when we don't even know what he is! He's not even in _your_ dreams, Prue, he's in _mine_. We can't all face him!"

"Bella, calm down," Prue said in her most reassuring tone. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand and whispered to Phoebe and Piper, "I think she's freaking out."

"Who can blame her?" Phoebe scoffed. "Evil's after her and she can't even kick its ass to make her feel better."

Prue rolled her eyes and Piper reached out to snatch the phone out of Prue's grip. "Bella, sweetie," she said, her manner much more soothing than Prue's had been. "The most important thing right now is for you to get home safely, okay? When you get here, we're gonna do everything we can to help you."

"And if you can't?" Bella questioned. "Prue said you didn't find anything in the Book. I know the internet's useless. Where else are we supposed to get our information from? It's not like we have a ton of resources for this kinda thing."

Piper nodded, her own worries starting to eat at her. "I know, I know," she agreed. "But we'll figure something out, okay? We have to."

Bella sighed, too tired to argue which just goes to show how exhausted she was – as a Halliwell woman, arguing was one of her favorite pastimes. "Whatever, just…Just keep talking to me, okay? Keep me awake."

Piper frowned worriedly. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand just like Prue had earlier and said to her sisters, "She sounds exhausted."

Phoebe inhaled deeply and snatched the phone out of Piper's hand, figuring it was her turn. "Okay, Bella!" she said loudly into the phone, succeeding into giving her younger sister a small jolt to wake her. "Stay with me now. Just focus on the road. You've been getting by on four hours of sleep daily. You can do this."

She turned to Piper and Prue and asked, "What's that song we always used to sing when we were little?"

Prue's eyebrows furrowed together. "What song?" she wondered.

"You know,the song we sang every time Mom or Grams took us somewhere…We used to sing it in the car when we visited Aunt Gail?" Phoebe prompted.

Recognition clicked in Piper's mind. "The road trip song?" she guessed correctly.

Phoebe nodded, "Yeah, let's sing that." She uncovered the mouthpiece and said into it, "Did you hear that, Bella? We're singing the road trip song, okay?"

Bella blinked her heavy eyelids slowly, trying to blink the sleepiness out of them. "Yeah, okay," she said, her words dragging.

Phoebe must have heard that because she quickly reassured Bella, "Okay, don't worry, honey. Everything's gonna be fine, okay? Nothing's going to happen."

Like a bad cue, rapid, almost violent knocks sounded from the front door. All three Halliwell sisters home turned to look at the closed door.

"Phoebe!" they heard an angry voice call out.

Phoebe blinked in shock when she recognized the 24-hour boyfriend she'd had and dumped earlier that night. "Hans!" she called out disbelievingly.

"Hans?" Prue wondered as her mind brought back the memory of 'meeting' the shirtless guy. She looked at Phoebe. "He's not psychotic, is he?" she asked accusingly.

Phoebe ignored her as Hans called out again, "Let me in! I have to see you!"

A slight chill went down Phoebe's spine as she heard the anger and desperation in Hans' voice. If her lack of desire of being groped yet again hadn't made her mind, this certainly did. "Go away!" she called back.

Piper, Prue and Phoebe all screamed as the front door burst open, Hans storming in with his fists clenched and his face twisted into an angry scowl. Startled, Phoebe dropped the cordless she was holding. She was too stunned by Hans' entrance that she didn't notice she'd dropped the phone, and didn't hear Bella's drowsy calls for her sisters.

"Are you crazy!" Phoebe demanded in spite of her fear – it was amazing that she and her sisters could stare down into the face of evil every other week but she could still be rattled by a human being. "What are you doing?"

"You left me," Hans accused, his voice shaking in anger. "How could you leave me!"

"I think he's psychotic," Piper muttered under her breath, answering Prue's earlier question.

Phoebe held up her shaking hands in an attempt to calm him. Piper reached out and took hold of Phoebe's arm, pulling her back as they slowly backed away from Hans the way one would back away from a wild animal. Prue stepped up and shielded her sisters behind her, glaring at their intruder.

"Hans, please," Phoebe begged, her voice as unsteady as her hands.

Hans ignored her plea. "Ever since I met you, I can't do anything," he confessed, his voice still laced with anger. "Eat, drink, sleep…All I can do is think about you!" He looked up at Phoebe once more, an angry desperation in his voice as he spoke through clenched teeth, "What have you done to me!"

Frustrated, Hans grabbed the closest thing to him – a heavy antique case.

Piper and Phoebe screamed again and, the moment they saw him reach for the vase, all three sisters dashed away towards the stairs, ducking behind the banister.

When Hans threw it in their direction, on instinct, Piper's hands shot out and she froze Hans and the vase. Prue took her cue instantly, her steely eyes locked on Hans' frozen form as she used her telekinesis to throw him backwards into the wall section behind him. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Not wanting damage to be caused to the vase, she gently lowered it back to its rightful position on the table with her power.

Piper let out a breath of relief. Turning to Phoebe, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Phoebe nodded, though she still looked slightly shaken up. "I'm fine," she assured Piper.

Prue then threw Phoebe and Piper an icy glare. "_You see_!" she scowled at them. "This is what happens when you use magic for personal gain."

Phoebe let out a huff. "You cannot _possibly_ be lecturing us right now," she threw her hands up in the air.

"You're right. I should wait for the next time you screw up," Prue retorted sarcastically.

Phoebe opened her mouth, ready to argue, when Piper gasped loudly and darted forward. "Bella!" she cried worriedly, snatching the phone off the ground and pressing it to her ear. "Bella! Bella!" she called out frantically.

She looked at Prue and Phoebe. "She's not there!" she cried out in panic

Prue grabbed the phone from Piper and hung up the call before dialing the number again. Perhaps Bella had hung up earlier when her sisters had failed to answer her. She shook her head as the call continued to ring without Bella answering. "She's not answering," she told the others.

The three of them shared terrified looks, Piper and Phoebe hugging each other close.

While her sisters were being distracted by Phoebe's crazy ex, Bella was barely hanging on her bike. "Phoebe?" she whispered hoarsely into the phone. "Piper?Prue?"

None of her sisters answered her and, through her sleepy haze, she thought she heard an angry male voice shouting on the other line.

Her eyelids flickered as she gave into her weariness for one quick second. And in that second, she could feel his presence, his breath blowing on her ear as he whispered, "Time is now, Beautiful Bella…We're almost there."

She gasped, her eyes flying wide open as her heart started to race. She gripped the slipping phone harder in her hands and almost sobbed into the phone, afraid that she would lose control, crash her bike and get back to the dream world she had absolutely no control in, "Guys, where are you!"

This time, when she blacked out, the phone slipped from her grip completely and fell to the road, crashing into pieces. She didn't notice it, however, both her hands on the handlebars as she tried to pry her heavy eyelids open. Her mind was too tired and her body simply wouldn't cooperate, however.

The dream sorcerer was back, standing on the side of the road and grinning as he watched her ride unsteadily by. "Say goodnight, Beautiful Bella," he murmured, just as Bella lost the battle to stay awake.

Bella's head hung low as her mind completely shut off. The bike, now not in her control, swerved dangerously. The sharp jolt woke Bella enough to get her to regain control of the bike. However, she had to still be partially asleep because she could hear him laughing maniacally in the distance.

The bike felt too heavy and her arms suddenly felt too weak. She swerved again just as she passed a junction. She didn't see or hear the Mercedes that came from the adjacent road, even as the driver honked madly, unable to stop in time.

She did, however, feel the pain shooting through her body as the car collided with her unprotected body. The impact sent both her and Phoebe's bike flying. The bike – bent out of shape – landed a few feet away from the spot where Bella had been hit. Bella's limp body rolled a good few feet away from the bike before coming to a stop.

Her entire body was aching, her fresh wounds stinging madly against the cool night air, and a small part of her brain wondered why she wasn't healing up quickly like she had been doing recently.

She kept her eyes open, even though her vision was getting blurry and she couldn't get her mind to focus on anything. She heard the loud squeal of tires as the car that had hit her came to a screeching halt. The driver came rushing out of the car, his panicked voice drawing closer even as his words sounded muffled to her.

As the panicked driver whipped out his phone to dial for an ambulance, his wide eyes taking in her bloody forehead and her arm laying at an odd angle, Bella kept her breathing as even and steady as she could, struggling not to give in and fall unconscious.

"I can't fall asleep," she continued her whispered mantra as the sirens from the ambulance grew nearer, the driver still by her side. "I can't fall asleep…"

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><p>Hey, guys. So what do you think?<p>

Juliet.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** ... I have no words. No apologies and no excuses. I just...Lost inspiration. I tried and I tried and I couldn't write anything worth a knut. I am sorry, though, for not posting a note or something to tell you guys of my unplanned sabbatical. I was just very lost in life. I still am, really, but I got a sudden inspiration for Charmed: Redux and BOF. My other stories, including Bella Hale and anything I haven't posted yet, are on hold for the moment. I'm sorry but I'd rather give you quality chapters when the muse is there to help me rather than give you crappy ones just for the sake of fulfilling demands. I guess we know that I'll never be able to work for a newspaper with the whole deadline thing, huh?

Anyway, please enjoy the latest chapter of Charmed: Redux and the last part of "the Dream Sorcerer". Please post a review afterwards, even if it's to tell me I suck (I know, I have a thing about punctuality and reliability and all that jazz).

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

><p>"Trauma One. What have you got?"<p>

"…Fifteen year old female…80 over 40…Semi-conscious at the scene…"

Bella groaned as she heard the faint, rushed words echoing around her. Her eyes fluttered briefly as she struggled to stay awake.

"Stay with us, Miss Halliwell…"

Bella's eyes flew open finally as the words of the stranger faded away and she groaned again, this time in frustration, as she realized she was back inside the strange dream world yet again. She looked around, noticing that she was lying on a stretcher.

"This is not happening," Bella muttered. She noticed her cell phone on a table right next to the stretcher and grabbed it – if she had been able to use her scissors on her creepy stalker and hurt him in real life, maybe she could use her cell phone to call her sisters from the dream world as well. "Come on, come on…"

"Hello, Beautiful Bella."

Though she started at the unwelcomed voice, Bella ignored it, concentrating on her phone.

"Come on…I'm not asleep…I'm not asleep…"

"Actually," Berman's smug voice irked her even more so than before. "You're unconscious. You fell asleep on the road…Hit by a car. Terrible, terrible thing."

Bella frowned as her cell phone beeped, unable to reach her sisters. She tried again, dialing the number to the manor once more.

"Speaking of pain," Berman continued. "You really hurt me last night – and not just my feelings."

Bella lifted her eyes from the cell phone briefly to glare at him. "Suffer, asshole," she spat out. The phone beeped yet again.

Berman smirked at her. "We're definitely out of range," he informed her in mock concern, grabbing the phone from her and tossing it aside. It shattered against the ground.

He lifted a glass of wine that had appeared on the table. "A little wine with your death?" he raised it to her.

Bella roughly shoved his hand aside, causing him to drop the glass. It, too, shattered. She sneered at him maliciously even as he smiled, unconcerned with her temper. _God, he is so lucky I can't move or I'd pound his ass into the ground_, she thought angrily. _I'm not as lucky, though_, she tried desperately to move even as she knew her efforts would be futile.

Bella gasped when she felt a shimmering sensation on her skin. Looking down, she saw that her clothes had been changed into a long black evening dress. She looked up and glared at Berman once more.

"Do you like the dress?" he asked her.

"I've worn better."

He smiled as though he didn't believe her. "Hmm, yeah," he murmured. He placed the wine glass down and reached out to pick Bella up from the stretcher.

She tried her hardest to resist or even fight him off with a violent kick and a punch but none of her limbs would work. _Don't panic, Bella, don't panic_, she told herself.

Berman carried her away from the stretcher, cradling her close almost as though they were dancing intimately. Bella's heart was pounding crazily in her chest as she anticipated whatever he had planned for her.

"Wake up, Mr. Berman!"

Bella gasped, her eyes widening at the sudden, unexpected voice. "Andy?" she wondered drowsily.

Berman had placed her on the ground, her back pressed to his front as he danced for the both of them. Her body felt so weak...She couldn't move, could barely even feel her own limbs. She was powerless to do anything but slump against him, unable to do anything as he held her hands and mimicked dancing slowly.

Andy didn't answer her but, not two seconds later, she heard new voices calling out to her.

"We're here, Bella, right beside you," Piper's voice echoed around her.

"Can you hear us?" Phoebe's voice joined her.

"Bella?" Prue called out.

Despite her best efforts to stay strong, Bella could feel tears prickling behind her eyes. "Prue, Piper, Phoebe!" she called out, hoping that they could hear her through some sort of witchy sister bond.

"They can't help you," Berman told her soothingly. "You're mine now."

He pressed a kiss to her bare neck. Bella shivered in disgust. The dream sorcerer picked her up off the floor and twirled her around in his strange, twisted dance.

Bella ignored him, suppressing the fear his words brought her.

"You've got to fight this guy," Piper's voice encouraged her.

"Don't leave us."

"You can do it."

"We need you."

"Use your power, Bella."

"Come back to us."

Her sisters' words, desperate and encouraging and worried and loving, gave Bella a sense of renewed hope where she'd felt nothing but defeat before. She was Bella Halliwell, one of the four most powerful witches in the world. She was raised by her Grams to be a strong, independent woman. She didn't admit defeat, especially to a man, and she didn't need to depend on anyone else to save her, even her sisters.

"Use your power," Prue's voice urged her again.

"You can do it, Bella," Phoebe told her confidently.

"We love you," Piper's voice cracked slightly.

Her resolve strengthened as Prue advised yet again for her to use her powers. She closed her eyes and, instead of trying to move her limbs, she tried to use her powers. A small smile stole across her lips when she could feel her powers bubbling underneath her skin, right where her heart was. The dream sorcerer could have rendered her body limp but he had no hold over her own powers.

Not realizing this, the dream sorcerer laughed, "You're powerless." His hands continued to caress her face, stroke her hair and trail down her bare arms.

Bella took hold of her powers, feeling it almost as though it was tangible in her hands, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Bella, you can do it. Use your power against him. Bella!?"

Her magic gathered, Bella began using it discreetly, pushing it towards the rest of her body. The tingling sensation of her powers made her body felt warm – almost warm enough to be hot – and, without alerting her captor, Bella subtly wriggled the fingers of her right hand as it dangled over his shoulder. She was pleased to note that she could, though she quickly and carefully wiped her face clean of any emotions.

Berman carried Bella over to a ledge and placed her at the very edge. Looking over her shoulder, Bella could see that they were standing on the roof of a very tall building. This time, however, as she felt her magic pulsing beneath her skin on every inch of her body, fear didn't rematerialize in her heart. If anything, she felt even more confident on her ability to end this nightmare.

"Shall I say goodnight?" the dream sorcerer asked her, his grip on her loosening in his confidence of his control over her, chuckling. "Hmm?" he ran his hands through her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead in morbid affection.

Bella smirked at him and his smile wavered at her sudden cockiness. "No, let me," she drawled mockingly. "Good night."

Feeling her power flare up, Bella propelled herself up into the air, breaking free of Berman's grip. He stumbled forward at the sudden, unbelievable movement. Bella spun in the air and delivered a spinning kick to his chest. He let out a pained grunt and stumbled backwards a few steps. Bella landed on her feet on solid ground, shaking her hair away from her face.

Berman regained his balance and stared at Bella, who was preparing for a fight, arms raised and hands turned into fists, his mouth agape in shock.

"You…You…" he stuttered.

"You're not the only one with powers, bastard," she sneered at him. "And guess what? My power kicks your power's ass."

An angered expression crossed his face and he reached out, swiping at her. Bella feigned to the right and when he lunged for her, she went left, gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs and a painful kick to the back of his knees. When he stumbled, she executed a backflip to kick him hard on the back. The strong kick threw him right over the edge of the building he'd created in the dream world.

Bella landed on her feet on the roof of the building. She watched, peering over the edge, as Berman fell fifty feet to the ground, screaming the whole way down. An almost sadistic smile crossed her lips.

The moment Berman reached the ground, the sickening crunch hidden by the sounds of the busy traffic down below, Berman's dream world disappeared, turning into a stark white of nothingness.

Feeling lightheaded suddenly, Bella closed her eyes, swaying slightly. She jerked when she felt something solid on her back. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, a sense of weariness there where it wasn't before. A harsh glare of light drifted directly into her eyes and she squinted in annoyance.

"Bella?" Piper's sweet voice broke through her thoughts. It sounded a lot closer than it had before when she'd been in Berman's dream world.

Bella turned her head to the side and her eyes widened when she met Piper's eyes, the same exact brown as her own. Her awareness began to trickle back in, and she realized that the softness below her was the mattress and a pillow.

Piper smiled at her softly, reaching up to stroke her hair gently. "Hey, welcome back," she murmured.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe asked from beside Piper, grasping Bella's hand tightly in her own.

Bella nodded and winced slightly at the soreness of her head. "Yeah, I'm okay," she gritted out.

Prue stared at her worriedly from the other side of the bed. "What about the…?" she trailed off, clearly referring to the dream sorcerer.

Bella smiled reassuringly. "He's gone," she informed her sisters, smiling when all three let out relieved sighs, sharing happy smiles with each other.

Her sisters had stayed until a nurse had come by and discovered them in restricted area. They'd been kicked out into the waiting room while Bella had been checked over and brought into a patient ward.

She had fallen asleep not too long after, exhausted after days of being terrorized in her sleep by a psychotic man who couldn't handle rejections very well. She had no dreams or nightmares, falling into such a deep sleep that the nurse had to shake her awake for a few minutes in the morning to get her to take her next dose of medication.

When the nurse was gone, Bella made a phone call. It was an inhumanly indecent time of day to call and interrupt someone's sleep but she figured, even if she was relenting to his presence in their lives, she could have some form of petty revenge once in a while that things hadn't gone her way.

Half an hour into watching crappy morning television, she was interrupted by her first visitor of the day.

"Good morning, gorgeous!" Max's bright smile greeted her as he slid through the open doorway.

"Max!" Bella grinned at him. _Thank God I freshened up earlier_, she thought narcissistically to herself. "What are you…? How did you know I was here?"

He shrugged. "I tried calling you yesterday on your cell but you never answered," he said, making her cringe as she remembered that she'd dropped her phone on the road when she'd crashed. It was probably crushed by now. "I got worried and called you at home this morning. Your sister Phoebe told me what happened."

"Aw, and you came to visit me," she beamed at him. "You're sweet."

He stepped closer to her, placing a white paper bag on the hospital table at the foot of Bella's bed. "And you…Are all banged up," he said concernedly, reaching out to cup her face in his hands. "I can't believe you got into an accident," he leaned down to kiss the edges of her bruises on her face gently.

"This was nothing," she joked. "You should've seen the car the other guy was driving. I did some serious damage. Bones of steel."

Max still looked far too concerned and it was venturing into far-too-serious territory. When he pressed another sweet, gentle kiss to yet another bruise, she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you're missing, mister," she gripped his shirt in her fist and brought him down for a kiss on the mouth at last. He chuckled warmly against her lips.

They were interrupted by a loud clang of something metallic hitting the door to her room and the sound of girlish laughter. Max made to pull away but Bella held on tightly.

"Ooh, hey, we interrupting something?" Piper called out teasingly.

Bella and Max pulled apart quickly. Max laughed embarrassedly while Bella glared at the doorway where her three sisters were standing. "You couldn't have waited a minute?" she asked them through gritted teeth.

"No," Prue said chirpily, smiling forcedly at the two teenagers.

Bella rolled her eyes.

"Wow, you really rushed here, didn't you?" Phoebe grinned at Max.

Max blushed. "Well, you know," he shrugged in an attempt to be nonchalant. "I knew Bella gets cranky without her morning apple soy muffin and non-fat yogurt."

Bella's eyes lit up as she reached for the paper bag Max had brought with him. He handed it to her with a laugh. "Ooh, and you threw in a fresh fruit cup. Thanks! The hospital food was gross and their grapes were soggy and old."

"Ew," Max agreed.

"Hey, you know, if you could sneak in a really good cup of coffee in here, I'll make out with you under the bleachers on the football field when I get back to school," Bella offered.

"We already do that," Max pointed out with a teasing smile.

Bella nodded seriously but threw in a new temptation, "Yes, but this time, I'll do that _thing_ you really wanted me to do…"

Max's back stiffened as he cleared his throat to cut her off just in case she was going to state just what exactly he wanted her to do. "Uh…I'll just…Uh, go across the street to Starbucks…" he gave Bella a quick kiss, barely managed to look her sisters in the eye and all but ran from the room, his face beet red.

"Don't hurry back," Prue muttered under her breath.

"What's the _thing_ he wants you to do?" Phoebe asked with a lascivious grin.

Bella rolled her eyes at Prue and Piper's concerned, disapproving gazes and Phoebe's wagging eyebrow. "None of your business," she sniped at Phoebe playfully. "And _you_ should be nicer to Max, Prue. After all, I'm going to be nice to you now."

Prue raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you are?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Yep," was all Bella would say about that. She turned her attention to the cart of flowers the three other Halliwell women had brought into the room. "So…What's all this?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Uh, well…" Phoebe said embarrassedly.

"Yeah…It's a...Long story," Piper giggled sheepishly, blushing.

"Not very interesting," Phoebe agreed.

One look at Prue's smug expression told Bella everything.

"Ah. This has something to do with your lust spell, doesn't it?" she asked them knowingly.

Phoebe closed her eyes in humiliation. "Mm-hmm," she hummed in agreement.

"Backfired?"

Phoebe hummed again.

Bella reached out to rub Piper's arm soothingly. "Aw, honey..." she said sympathetically, then continued in the same tone, "I told you so."

Piper and Phoebe exchanged an incredulous look. "Bella!" Piper gasped, swatting her gently on the arm.

Bella shrugged as Prue tried to keep in a laugh. "What? I did tell you," she reminded them. "No one ever listens to me."

"That's because you're a very opinionated fifteen year old," Prue retorted jokingly.

Bella sniffed. "Doesn't mean I'm not smarter than all of you combined," she said in mock arrogance. She gave Piper and Phoebe a pointed look and cleared her throat meaningfully.

Piper sighed long-sufferingly. "You were right, Bells," she admitted.

"Yeah, we were very wrong," Phoebe chimed in. "We'll never doubt your word again."

Bella beamed, "Now _that's_ more like it," even when she knew Phoebe's claim was false.

"We reversed the spell last night, though," Piper told her. "After we went back home."

"Piper called Jack-"

"The guy you had dinner with?" Prue asked Piper, who nodded in confirmation.

"He didn't remember anything," Piper said in relief. "And Phoebe called Hans..."

"And he didn't remember anything," Phoebe grinned widely. "Thank God."

"So, don't worry, everything's back to normal," Piper assured Prue and Bella.

"Good," Prue rolled her eyes. "I hope the two of you aren't going to do something as ridiculous as this again."

"Even her compliments are insults," Phoebe muttered to Piper.

Bella shook her head. When her eye caught the colourful magazines tucked under Prue's arm, she perked up. "Back to more interesting things - are those for me?" she nodded to the magazines.

Prue laughed and nodded, handing them over. "Yes. I thought you didn't need any more flowers or stuffed animals with 'get well soon' stitched on them," she gestured to the souvenirs piled all over the room. "And since Doctor Black said you needed to stay for one more day, I figured you needed some entertainment besides Leno."

Bella grinned, accepting the magazines - teen, fashion and gossip. It's just enough to tide her over until her stay in the hospital was over and done with. "Cool, thanks, Prue," she said graciously.

"And, I got you something else," Prue reached for a box on top of the cart of flowers Piper and Phoebe had wheeled into the room.

Bella lit up at the mention of a present. She gasped as she saw the picture printed on the front of the box. "Ooh...A new cell phone?" she quickly opened the box to get to the prize inside.

Prue nodded. "Yeah...They recovered your cell phone a few blocks from where you crashed, and it was destroyed," she said apologetically. "I thought you might need a new one."

Bella smiled genuinely. "Aw, thanks, Prue," she said sincerely. Prue was taken aback for a moment before she smiled.

"You're welcome," she reached out to stroke Bella's hair. It was a rare content sisterly moment and she wasn't going to ruin it by saying something she thought was innocent until Bella spun it out of control.

Piper picked up the nearest 'get well soon' bear and glanced at the beautiful bouquet of red roses next to it. "Hey, who sent these?" she asked curiously.

Bella glanced at them. "Oh, the people at Teddy Farrow's," she said dismissively. "I heard Teddy went ballistic when he heard I won't be in the next show due to the accident but he sent me those anyway."

"How charming," Phoebe quipped dryly.

"It is," Bella defended. "He could've fired me but he didn't."

"Isn't that sweet?" Piper joked, rolling her eyes.

"Afternoon, ladies," an unexpected voice startled Prue, Piper and Phoebe and three swivelled around to look at the doorway. Andy stood there, one hand clutching a red rose and the other a 'get well soon' bear. "Surprise," he grinned, his eyes locked on Prue.

"Yes, it is," Prue agreed, turning accusing eyes on Phoebe.

Phoebe's eyes grew round with innocence. "What are you looking at me for? I didn't call him," she protested honestly.

Detecting no lies from here, Prue turned her gaze on Piper who shook her head, "Not me, either."

_Well, that only leaves...But she wouldn't...Would she?_ Prue turned disbelieving eyes on Bella, Piper and Phoebe following suit.

Bella shrugged. "Guilty," she confessed. At her sisters' prolonged stares, she scowled, "What? I said I was going to be nice now."

This whole ordeal with the creepy stalker dream guy had shaken her enough to give her a temporarily sweet personality...Well, sweet enough to back off of Prue and Andy and give them a shove in the right direction - it was obvious they wanted to be together and she didn't feel like being tortured with Prue's boring, sexless "will-they-won't-they" situation while she recovered.

"Here, this is for you," he said to Bella. "This is for you..." he handed her the bear. Looking around the room, he added sheepishly, "To go with your...Other bears."

Bella grinned. "Thanks," she said.

"I'm glad to see every bone in your body's not broken," he said, chuckling slightly.

Bella stared at him. "What?" she asked blankly.

"The accident...Never mind," Andy said, mind flashing back to the odd but yet unsolved case of the women who died in their beds of broken bones consistent with a jump.

Prue cleared her throat. "And, uh, is the rose for Bella, too?" she asked, nodding at the red rose.

"Oh, no," Andy chuckled. "I think she's got enough flowers." He looked around the room and his gaze landed on the cart of flowers. "Did you guys buy out a florist?" he wondered, almost joking.

"Long story," Piper laughed awkwardly.

Andy turned back to Prue and, with a sweet smile, extended the rose out to her. "The rose is for you," he told her.

"Um, oh...Thank you," she said, blushing slightly as she took the flower from him. They shared a few shy glances, words escaping them both.

Bella, of course, interrupted their moment. "This is like watching live comedy," she snickered.

Andy laughed, embarrassed, and looked away from Prue. Prue turned to glare at her youngest sister who, unrepentant, merely grinned back at her.

"Oh, don't mind me," Bella drawled. "I'm just the girl who got into a car accident last night and almost died. Can't really walk out of the room and give certain people some much needed privacy now, can I?"

Prue shook her head and let out an exasperated sight. "Ignore her - the meds make her loopy," she muttered to Andy.

Andy grinned. "So...Do you wanna get a cup of coffee?" he asked her.

Prue smiled at him coyly. "Sure," she agreed.

"Okay, bye guys!" Phoebe called out to them, waving.

"Yeah, we'll see you later tonight," Piper chimed in.

"After we raid your closet," Phoebe added.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Bella added salaciously.

Prue shot her three sisters a look over her shoulder as she and Andy walked out of the door. Piper, Phoebe and Bella giggled as they watched Prue and Andy leaving.

As Andy reached out to place an arm around Prue, pressing a kiss to her hair, Piper pulled out a stem of rose from the nearest bouquet and handed it to Phoebe. Phoebe laughed, accepting it. She and Piper moved to sit on either side of Bella on her bed, still watching the pair as they left, quite shyly enamoured with one another. They giggled together as they saw Prue blush yet again.

"Don't worry, hun, you did the right thing," Piper patted Bella on the leg.

"Well, I only did it cuz she's in need of a social life," Bella said defensively.

Piper and Phoebe shared a look. "Right, of course you did," Phoebe agreed in jest. "Softie," she added on a cough.

Bella rolled her eyes and threw a bear at her. _It's none of my business anyway, what Prue does_, she sighed, watching her sister and her maybe-boyfriend walk out of her line of sight. _But if Andy hurts her, I'll dangle him off a roof_.

**End**


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